Super-Powers’ Geneva talks ‘a beam of hope’

Press, 3 January 1985, Page 6

Super-Powers’ Geneva talks ‘a beam of hope’

NZPA-NYT Rome Pope John Paul II called yesterday the arms talks between the United States and the Soviet Union planned for next week “a beam of hope on the horizon of the world” and urged the two nations to realise that they share the same risk.

In what were some of his most specific comments on arms control to date, the Pope called for “effective systems of verification” of any agreement.

He also said that the arms talks could affect not only East-West relations but also those between the wealthier countries of the northern hemisphere and the poorer nations of the southern.

“All will be fragile and precarious unless a new philosophy is accepted in international relations,” the Pope said in his New Year’s Day address to thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square.

He said that this new philosophy meant "renouncing egoistic and ideological interests that feed the tensions, hatreds, subversions.” He called on nations to dedicate “the energies and resources freed by disarma-

ment to the great cause of our time — the struggle against hunger, of human rights, and the welfare of people.” If that happened, he said, “It will change not only the East-West relations but also the North-South relations.”

“Is it a dream?” the Pope asked about disarmament as he brandished the text of his speech for emphasis. “No, it’s my earnest appeal for all of you, to the peoples of all continents and to the youth of the world.” The Pope’s remarks on the talks between the American Secretary of State, Mr George Shultz, and the Soviet Foreign Minister, Mr Andrei Gromyko, were unusually direct in their references to current affairs.

The talks, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in Geneva, are to cover ground rules and an agenda for a new set of arms control talks.

The Polish-born Pope is known to take a dim view of Soviet intentions and his call for effective verification of an arms treaty parallels the concerns of groups and officials who were sceptical about earlier arms agreements with the

Soviet Union. “An accord will be possible,” he said, “if the parties are convinced that, on the issue of survival or destruction, they share the same risk.” The Pope also appeared to question President Ronald Reagan’s proposal for a long-range defence against missiles, which the Administration calls the strategic defence initiative and which is often called the “star wars” plan. “Every time the parties return to the negotiating table they find problems ever more vast and intricate,” Pope John Paul said.

“Continental and planetary installations go side-by-side with projects for global systems for space, while the production of more sophisticated devices is consuming a competition of continual one-upmanship.” The Pope said that the arms talks could not be guided simply by technical criteria but would have to be inspired above all by human and moral reasons, adding that ordinary citizens were baffled and frightened by “armaments of an unheard of complexity and power.”