Soviet hopes for summit

Press, 5 July 1985, Page 6

Soviet hopes for summit

NZPA-Reuter Moscow The Soviet Union hopes that the summit conference between the Kremlin leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, and President Reagan will produce pacts on the first use of nuclear weapons, missile deployment in Europe, and space weapons. “All that has been agreed so far is when and where the meeting will take place. Other issues will be talked about through diplomatic channels and will be decided in the near future,” said a Soviet Foreign Ministry spokesman, Vladimir Lomeiko. He said at a news conference announcing the summit conference that although the actual agenda had not been drawn up, Moscow hoped certain issues would be raised when the two leaders met in Geneva on November 19-20. The summit meeting was announced in Washington simultaneously. Mr Lomeiko said topics that could produce possible agreement included a pact that neither country would be the first to use nuclear weapons, or that they would end the deployment of medium-range missiles in Europe or ban anti-satellite weapons. These are suggestions

raised in the past by the Soviet Union and rejected by Washington as being unrealistic or meaingless or, in the case of medium-range missiles, as effectively acknowledging a built-in Soviet superiority. Mr Lomeiko said details of the agenda had not yet been decided, although the talks were expected to cover a wide field and include nuclear arms and space weapons. Asked if he thought there was any chance that problems might arise at the current United States-Soviet arms talks in Geneva that could prevent the summit meeting, he answered, “We proceed from the assumption that both sides are interested in this meeting taking place.” He indicated displeasure over the fact that news of the summit meeting plans had been leaked by United States officials on Wednesday. The Soviet side had taken note of the fact, he said. He could not disclose whether the new Soviet Foreign Minister, Mr Eduard Shevardnadze, or his predecessor in office, Mr Andrei Gromyko, would accompany Mr Gorbachev to Geneva or on a trip to Paris in October.