International Shevchenko row threatens to involve U.N. Secretariat

Press, 13 April 1978, Page 8

International Shevchenko row threatens to involve U.N. Secretariat

NZPA-Reuter

New York

The United Nations Secretariat risks being drawn into the East-West conflict by the apparent determination of its top Russian official to keep his position despite breaking with his own Government.

Mr Arkady Shevchenko, Undersecretary-general for Political and Security Council Affairs, has told his American lawyer that he wants to retain his $NZ76,000-a-year post and i hopes to discuss the mattet ; when the United Nations Secretary-General (Dr Kuri Waldheim) returns next week-end from a trip to Europe. His position is traditionally filled by a nominee of the Russian Government, whose instructions to fly to Moscow, Mr Shevchenko recently ignored, according to his lawyer, Mr Ernest 1 Gross. Although the 47-year-old official’s tour of United Nations duty had been scheduled to end on April 15, it was extended for a further two years on February 3, a United Nations spokesman said. The Soviet Union has already accused the United States of being behind the Shevchenko affair, and has lodged its second formal complaint with the United States State Department in Washington. Diplomatic observers in New York believe Moscow might insist on having a Government nominee in the post traditionally reserved for a Soviet citizen. Mr Gross, in explaining why his client refused Rus-

1 sian orders to fly home, ( cited article 100 of the 1 United Nations Charter, for--1 bidding international civil ' servants from seeking or re- ’ ceiving instructions from any government. I If Dr Waldheim moved to s fire Mr Shevchenko at the ( Soviet Union’s behest, he I would appear to be taking I the view that senior United t Nations staff should, after all, accept orders from their t governments, observers said. ? On the other hand, the i Secretary-General equid > hardly try to defy the I wishes of a super-Power if Moscow insisted on remov- ; ing Mr Shevchenko from his ■ post.

The United States yesterday continued to maintain a low profile in the Shevchenko affair, apparently hoping to minimise any damage to American-Soviet relations when the United Nations Secretary of State (Mr Cyrus Vance) is about to fly to Moscow for talks on a number of sensitive issues, including strategicarms limitation. Mr Gross yesterday ridi'culed a charge by the Soviet mission to the United Nations that his client was the victim of a “premeditated provocation” involving United States intelligence agencies, and that he was acting under duress. Mr Shevchenko had no in- ; tention of seeking asylum or : of renouncing his Russian citizenship, and was puzzled by the use of the word “de- ' fector” in news stories about him, he said. Legal sources said the ' Russian official was entitled ! to remain in the United 1 States as long as he held his I United Nations post. If he I lost it, he would have to apply for permission to stay ' in America. Mr Shevchenko, who held s a face-to-face meeting with I senior Russian officials in i Mr Gross’s office last Sun- ’ day, was under no duress and was staying with friends ; in the country outside New York, the lawyer said.