Indian Ocean power ‘stable’

Press, 15 December 1977, Page 8

Indian Ocean power ‘stable’

NZPA Geneva I : The United States has said that the balance of United (States and Soviet naval (power in the Indian Ocean is reasonably stable and that there is no confrontation. i The United States seeks to stabilise the existing situation and later consider the possibility of reductions, the American Arms Control and Disarmament Agency director (Mr Paul Warnke) (has told a news conference. He attended the third round of United StatesSoviet talks on the Indian Ocean in Berne last week. “At present the situation I in the Indian Ocean is reasonably stable. There is no major military confrontation, and I think it is in the interest of both sides to see to it that it does not become an area of military build-up,” he said. Mr Warnke said that military activity in the regiem had been modest. “Both [sides find this satisfactory from the point of view of

their military interests and we hope we can stabilise at this relatively low level of military activity,” he said. Meeting in the Swiss capital until last Saturday, the two super-Powers discussed various proposals in what they termed “useful discussions” and decided to meet again at an early date. Previous rounds of the talks were held in Moscow and Washington. Mr Warnke is also the chief United States delegate to the United States-Soviet strategic arms limitation talks for limiting strategic nuclear weapons and Americ a n-B rit i s h-Soviet discussions on banning underground nuclear weapons tests along with those in the other environment already banned in the 1963 Moscow treaty.

Mr Warnke said that while important problems remained progress was being made in both negotiations, expected to adjourn for Christmas at the end of this week.