Reagan expresses peace hope

Press, 13 November 1982, Page 8

Reagan expresses peace hope

NZPA-Reuter Washington President Ronald Reagan says he will make another main speech soon on arms control as he seeks to improve United States-Soviet relations after the death of Leonid Brezhnev. Only hours- after the announcement of Mr Brezhnev's death and again at a press conference yesterday. Mr Reagan said that he wanted the new Soviet leadership to work with him to create a better relationship. But. expanding his theme at the news conference, he

said that the new Soviet leaders must back their professed desire for peace with specific actions to prove they were sincere. White House officials said that the arms control speech, though planned before Mr Brezhnev’s death, would give Mr Reagan a forum for making another attempt to bridge United States-Soviet differences. Mr Reagan told the press conference that he did not feel that tensions would increase because of changes in the Soviet leadership. At the same time, easing

tensions “is going to require some deeds, not just words.’’ “We need some action that they — it takes two to tango — that they want to tango also,” Mr Reagan said. He intimated that he did not plan to take any dramatic new step of his own in his search for an improved relationship with the Soviet Union. Asked if he had such a move in mind, he said: “We have been trying to do that in quiet diplomacy." Some people had thought he made a serious move soon after he came into office last year, when he ended a par-

tial grain embargo imposed by President Jimmy Carter against the Soviet Union because of its military intervention in Afghanistan. Mr Reagan said he would not attend Mr Brezhnev's funeral in Moscow on Monday because of scheduling problems. He said that the VicePresident, Mr George Bush, now touring Africa, was being considered to head a "very distinguished” delegation but a final decision would not be made until more information was available from Moscow about funeral arrangements.