Arms-limit talks sag

Press, 21 December 1978, Page 9

Arms-limit talks sag

NZPA Mexico City; The United States and Soviet Union have failed to reach an agreement in the latest round of talks on limiting conventional arms sales, according to a joint communique issued yester-; day. After 10 days of talks ini Mexico City which ended on December 15, the two sides! agreed only to meet again ini Helsinki. They did not set al date. This year, after an earlier I round of talks in Helsinki,; the United States State Department predicted that “concrete results,” would; emerge from the Mexico! City talks. A State Department spokesman, Mr Tom Reston, gave no reason for the absence of concrete results in releasing the communique. But. soeakina nrivatelv.

'i American officials confirmed - reports that the ' United > States, just before the talks i began, had switched its posii tion on an earlier tentative i agreement with the Russians ■ to talk about arms control ■;in a regional context. I According to the reports, i the United States had i wanted to talk about coni’trolling the flow of arms to II Latin America and Africa. In 11 Latin America, the United I States has been the tradi'itional supplier. In Africa, jthe Russians have been ■lbehind several recent arms :i build-ups. I; But the White House Sell curity Adviser, Mr Zbigniew Brzezinksi, decided last : month that the regional con- , cept might lead to pressure ■to reduce American arms i sales in such sensitive areas as the Persian Gulf and . South Korea.