Arms talks get under way

Press, 13 March 1985, Page 10

Arms talks get under way

NZPA-Reuter Geneva The United States and Soviet Union began their first arms negotiations in 15 months yesterday despite Mr Chernenko’s death. American diplomats said that Moscow had signalled its desire for “business as usual” by declining an American offer yesterday to rearrange the talks in view

of Mr Chernenko’s death. Mr Gorbachev, his successor, promised to continue Mr Chernenko’s policies. “We are not looking for superiority over the United States. We want an end to the arms race, not its continuation ... and not the creation of new arms systems, whether in space or on Earth,” he said. American diplomats said

that the talks would be tough. “We cannot promise to make early progress but we will seek it,” said Joseph Lehman, principal spokesman of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. Mr Lehman said that the two sides, led by Max Kampelman, head of the United States delegation, and Viktor Karpov, a veteran

Soviet arms negotiator, would meet today at the Soviet mission to the United Nations in Geneva. A Soviet spokesman said he expected a second session to take place as planned tomorrow, the day after Mr Chernenko’s funeral, at the offices of the United States Arms Control

Agency. The delegation heads must work out a precise timetable for more talks at their first meeting.

It is not yet clear when the negotiators will divide to consider strategic, intermediate, and space weapons individually or how often they will meet.