Dissident’s caution

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33521, 30 April 1974, Page 13

Dissident ’s caution

t.V.Z.P.4.-Reuter— Copyright) , MOSCOW, April 29. A leading Soviet Union dissident has warned United States political circles that the Kremlin will never agree to substantial changes in its foreign or domestic policies for the sake of increased trade. The historian. Professor' Roy Medvedyev, In a 6500word essay on dissent in the ’Soviet Union, criticised Sen-i

?ator Henry Jackson for having equated the granting of most-favoured-nation treatment for Russian imports with the liberalisation of Soviet Union emigration laws. ■ "United States trade and I credits greatly interest the Soviet leadership, but this interest is not so great as to make the Soviet Government 1 accept change in internal legislation or substantial changes in foreign policy,” ' he said, adding that excessive [pressure from the West might I well give rise to “an ungovernable and destructive escalation of mistrust and ! rivalry.” •j A convinced Marxist who

was expelled from the Communist Party several years ago over what he described las the "rehabilitation” of Stalin. Professor Medvedyev was continuing the debate’ by Soviet, dissenters on how democratic reforms might be brought about. He criticised the banished writer. Alexander Solzhenitsyn. saying that he had a “retrograde” view of Russian history. ; Earlier this month, the dissident physicist, Dr Andrei ' Sakharov, also criticised Mr : Solzhenitsyn's proposals for Russia’s future course, and condemned some of them as potentially dangerous.