Brezhnev rejects U.S. ‘code’ call

Press, 29 April 1981, Page 9

Brezhnev rejects U.S. ‘code’ call

NZPA-Reuter Moscow The Soviet President (Mr Leonid Brezhnev) yesterday attacked the Reagan Administration’s policies in the Third World at a Kremlin dinner for the Libyan leader, Muammar Gadaffi. Mr Brezhnev said his country would" not agree to any Soviet-American code of conduct in the developing world if it meant the continuation of ‘imperialist brigandage” and the establishment of spheres of influence. The 74-year-old President said he was replying to calls from the United States for Moscow to observe an agreed “code of conduct” in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. “If what is meant is some 'rules’ which would perpetuate imperialist brigandage and dictate towards these States, the establishment of some 'spheres of influence,’ then of course we shall never agree to that,” he said. But he said the Soviet Union was all in favour of observing “generally recognised norms of international law” including Soviet-Ameri-can agreements signed in the 19705. -■

Colonel Gadaffi arrived yesterday for a four-day visit, his first in more than four years to the Soviet Union, which provides arms and a large scale to the radical Arab country.

Mr Brezhnev said the 1970 agreements — which include

mutual pledges not to seek undue advantage over the other super-Power in the Third World — were being flouted by the United States. History was on the side of the Third World countries, Mr Brezhnev said.

“But the imperialists have no regard either for the will of the people or for the laws of history. The liberation struggle of the peoples causes their indignation. They describe it as ‘terrorism’.”

The American Secretary of State (Mr Alexander Haig) said on March 18 that the Soviet Union was maintaining camps in Eastern Europe and Libya “where literally thousands of Third World embryo terrorists are running through a training course.” Mr Brezhnev made no further reference to Mr Haig's charges, but he sharply attacked American policy in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East, accusing Washington of being willing to use any pretext for interference.

He said the United States had used the crisis over its diplomats held hostage by Iran to build up its naval power in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

While the diplomats had returned home, the American fleet was still threatening peace in the region, he complained.

Mr Brezhnev said the Soviet Union believed that a

real cade of conduct towards the Third World should be based, on the following principles?

• Recognition of each country’s right to decide its domestic affairs without outside interference, renunciation of attempts to establish domination or hegemony or include countries in the sphere of interest of any power.

• Strict respect for territorial integrity, inviolability of frontiers, and no outside support for separatist movements aimed at partition. • Recognition of the right of all Asian, African, and Latin American States to develop relations with any country. • _ . ■/

• Recognition of the sovereignty of Third World, States over their natural resources and their equality in economic relations, and support for their efforts to endocolonialism, racism, and apartheid.

• Respect for the nonaligned status of Third World States and renunciation of attempts to draw them into military blocs.

“Such is the ‘code of conduct’ that we recognise and are always prepared to observe,” Mr Brezhnev declared, adding that the United States and other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council should do the same.