Moscow party man gives hint of troop pull-backs

Press, 19 November 1982, Page 8

Moscow party man gives hint of troop pull-backs

NZPA Moscow A member of the central committee of the Soviet Communist Party has told a group of Japanese journalists that talks between the Soviet Union and China could result in a pull-back of troops from the Soviet-Chinese border.

Participants in a conference of Japanese and Soviet journalists being held in Moscow confirmed yesterday that the Soviet official, Viktor Afanasyev, who is the editor of “Pravda,” the party’s newspaper, had made the remark on Tuesday during d meeting at “Pravda’s” offices.

■ The suggestion was similar to one that a senior Chinese official was reported as having made to Western newsmen in Peking during a background discussion last month after the resumption of talks between Moscow and Peking. Kyodo, the Japanese news agency, quoted Mr Afanasyev as having said: “It is possible that the two sides

might promise each other a reduction of military forces

in border areas.” The indication that the Kremlin might consider troop reductions along the frontier in the context of a general improvement of the relationship was. not in itself new. But it attracted wide attention in Moscow in the context of the change in the Soviet leadership, and the renewed efforts that the Kremlin hierarchy has made in the last week to entice Peking into an accommoda-

tion. The new general secretary of the Communist Party, Mr Yuri Andropov, signalled his attitude when he greeted the Chinese Foreign Minister, Mr Huang Hua, with what appeared to be unusual , warmth at a Kremlin reception after Leonid Brezhnev’s funeral on Monday. On Tuesday, Mr Huang met the Soviet Foreign Minister Mr Andrei Gromyko, for 90 minutes in what was the highest-level discussion

the two sides had held since 1969.

At the same time “Pravda,” and “Izvestia,” the Moscow Government’s newspaper, have given unusual prominence to Chinese condolence messages to the Soviet leadership, printing the messages amidst others received from friendly Eastern European nations. On his return to Peking, Mr Huang said that China was “quite optimistic” about the prospects of Siho-Soviet talks.

Mr Huang said that Peking, like Moscow, attached “great importance” to the resumption of talks between the two countries. The next series of talks would take place in Moscow at a date to be fixed very soon. China and the Soviet Union clashed on the Ussuri River, which forms part of their border, in 1968-69 over the sovereignty of Damanski (Chenpao) Island.