U.S.-Soviet detente may be redefined

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33676, 28 October 1974, Page 13

U.S.-Soviet detente may be redefined

N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copy right >

MOSCOW. October 27.

The United States and the Soviet Union appear to be moving towards a redefinition of detente which may well give a new shape to the political relationship between them.

The fresh approach is likely to emerge at the tvvo-day summit meeting on November 23 and 24 between the General Secretary of the Soviet Union Communist Party (Mr Brezhnev) and President Ford, announced officially last night.

Agreement on the Ford-Brezhnev summit was reached during a visit to Moscow over the last four days by the United States Secretary of State (Dr Henry Kissinger) who today begins his tour of Asian countries. The summit will take place “in the vicinity of” the Soviet Far Eastern port of

Vladivostok, but neither American nor Russian officials will say whether it will be held on land or at sea.

' The official joint announcement describes the forthcoming summit as “a working meeting,” and says simply that the two leaders, who have not previously met, will exchange opinions on questions of mutual interest; but the indications are that Mr Brezhnev will study Mr Ford’s conception (of detente, which is viewed generally as differing from I that of the former American I President, Mr Richard 'Nixon, with whom the ! Kremlin leader established (what they both regarded as a personal rapport. Mr Ford apparently believes in a more empirical approach to detente than was practised by his predecessor. and one with more recognition of the fact that the two Powers have made their present pact because of mutual needs, rather than mutual admiration. There has also been a revision of the Russian attitude since Mr Ford succeeded Mr Nixon in August, and this has been reflected in the official press. Over recent weeks, negative aspects of American life have once again come to the fore in Soviet newspapers. This shift of emphasis, which could mean that the two countries will begin to take a more sanguine view of each other in public while pushing ahead with the general principles of detente, may well be tacitly approved at the coming summit.

Prominent on the formal agenda for the talks will be the problem of a new Strategic Arms Limitation talks agreement, for which Dr

Kissinger has been seeking to establish guidelines during his Moscow talks.

Last night, in the final session of three days of discussions, Mr Brezhnev and Dr Kissinger were together for about 7| hours,' and S.A.L.T. was believed to have been the main subject. There has been little sign that Dr Kissinger has managed to persuade the Russians of the urgency, as he sees it, of reaching a new S.A.L.T. accord, but there may be some indication of this in the communique on his visit.