Stand changed—Reagan

Press, 5 October 1985, Page 10

Stand changed—Reagan

NZPA-Reuter Cincinnati, Ohio The President of the United States, Mr Ronald Reagan, said yesterday that the Soviet Union had changed its position on super-Power arms control with the latest proposals delivered to the United States. He would press on with his strategic defence initiative, which is aimed at building an anti-missile shield in space despite Moscow’s fervent opposition, he said. The President was on a tax reform campaign trip to Ohio while the Soviet leader, Mr Mikhail Gorbachev, on an official visit to France, was setting out for the first time in public an offer to the United States to cut long-range nuclear

weapons 50 per cent if the United States halted its S.D.I. programme. Mr Gorbachev also called on France and Britain to negotiate separate accords with the Kremlin on missiles based in Europe. Asked if all that amounted to “quite a big change” in the Kremlin’s position on arms control, Mr Reagan replied, “Yes. Everything they’re saying is a change in their position.” He refused to discuss details of the proposals, saying that they would be dealt with at United States-Soviet arms control talks in Geneva. The Kremlin’s plan was delivered to Mr Reagan by the Soviet Foreign Minister, Mr Eduard Shevardnadze, when he visited Washington last week and explained in

detail at United StatesSoviet arms control talks in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday. A White House spokesman, Larry Speakes, said that Mr Gorbachev’s speech in Paris yesterday had contained no new surprises. “They (Gorbachev’s proposals) were basically out there anyway. Once again, we’re prepared to discuss this at Geneva and we have it under study and will reply to the Soviets at Geneva,” he said. Mr Reagan said that he did not think Mr Gorbachev’s suggestion of direct “Euro-missile” talks with France and Britain would split the Western alliance.

® The Associated Press reports from London that the Soviet proposal for direct talks with Britain and

France on nuclear arms reduction highlights two small — by super-Power standards — but potent nuclear forces. The French, testing warheads steadily at Mururoa Atoll, have pledged to keep their nuclear “force de frappe” as the keystone of the country’s defence, and Britain is stretching its defence budget to convert its submarine-borne missile force from ageing Polaris to more modern Tridents. Neither force is large compared with the thousands of warheads in the super-Powers’ arsenals, but their warheads are more powerful than the atom bombs dropped on Japan in World War Two, and the two countries are investing heavily in keeping their forces up to date.