Arms negotiators set out basic bargaining points

Press, 2 December 1981, Page 8

Arms negotiators set out basic bargaining points

NZPA-Reuter Geneva The United States and the Soviet Union were expected to set out their basic bargaining positions today in talks to limit nuclear missiles in Europe. After a 90-minute “getacquainted” session, yesterday between the two chief negotiators, the full delegations were due to meet’at the United States mission today to open negotiations. Those talks could stretch into months or years.

But after both superpowers agreed yesterday to clamp a news black-but on progress, little was expected to emerge publicly from the opening exchanges in one of the most momentous, EastWest , disarmament exchanges for years. “The stakes are very high; for air of us,” the American chief negotiator, Paul Nitze, aged 74, said after his first talks at the Soviet mission with his opposite number, Yuli Kvitsinsky, who is 45. Both, men are skilled negotiators unlikely to give any-' thing away in talks which are of vital concern not only, to the two main Powers but to hundreds of millions of Europeans. According to Western

estimates the Soviet Union already has deployed more than 500 SS2O, SS4 and SSS missiles in Eastern Europe able to strike at Western cities.

The United States and its 14 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies plan to install 572 Pershing and Cruise missiles in Western Europe in about two years unless agreement is reached to limit both sides’ mediumrange nuclear arsenals on the Continent.

Mr Nitze, a veteran arms negotiator who helped work out the 1972 Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty with the Soviet Union, was expected today to repeat President Ronald Reagan’s, recent offer to stop N.A.T.O.’s mediumrange. nuclear missile programme in Europe, providing Moscow dismantles its existing systems. The Soviet leader, Leonid Brezhnev, has already called this offer a propaganda ploy. His negotiators. at Geneva may well push for a wider agenda, taking into account not, only land-based missiles but also weapons carried by aircraft and submarines, including British and French ihissiles. .

Definition of exactly which and whose missiles are under discussion could well protect ■the initial exchanges in what

are generally expected ,to be long-drawn-out talks.

The threat of hundreds more nuclear missiles being planted on their soil has aroused huge public protests recently , in Western European cities. In neutral Switzerland yesterday 1500 “Women for Peace” demonstrated in a torchlight procession through the city centre. The rally, supported by several political parties and Protestant and Catholic Churches, called on the Soviet 'and American delegations to “work constructively for peace.” ’ But as the first winter snow fell on Geneva, yesterday, a handful of demonstrators turned up as Mr Nitze drove into the closely guarded Soviet mission for what he afterwards said was a “cordial arid businesslike” first meeting with Mr Kvitsinsky. " . Mr Nitze, told reporters afterwards that he regretted that both sides felt they, had to impose a news blackout on their talks, but . said this was necessary to make progress. , •' ' He ; acknowledged that “hard issues” separated the two sides - and said, it would not help if he were to engage in. a public debate through the news media.