‘Even chance for strategic missile pact’

Press, 22 September 1987, Page 8

‘Even chance for strategic missile pact’

NZPA-Reuter Washington The United States and the Soviet Union have an even chance of building on their nearly completed pact to abolish medium-range nuclear missiles towards agreement on cutting strategic missiles, United States officials said.

The prediction came on Sunday in television interviews by Frank Carlucci, President Reagan’s national security adviser, and Senator Sam Nunn, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Secretary of State, George Shultz, on another programme, said he was working towards a pact with the Russians to halve the number of strategic missiles, after last week’s success in all but reaching an agreement to cut medium range missiles. Mr Shultz said: “The most important thing to do right now, I think, and the Soviets said they think so, too ... is to bring

about very large reductions in strategic arms, a 50 per cent cut in strategic arms, and that’s what we’re going to push on now.” Strategic missiles are those that travel more than 5000kms and include

the new 10-warhead US MX missile. Mr Nunn, a Georgia Democrat, said: “I think there is a 50-50 chance (of getting a strategic weapons agreement next year). Now, getting it ratified during that same time frame is an entirely different question.” Mr Carlucci, on the same programme, agreed, saying: “It’s going to require a lot of

work.” Mr Shultz and the Soviet Foreign Minister, Eduard Shevardnadze, met for three days last week in Washington, emerging with all but the finishing touches on an agreement to scrap Soviet and United States Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF). The two are to meet next month in Moscow to put final touches on the agreement and agree to a meeting between Mr Reagan and the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, probably in November.

Under the INF agreement, the United States estimates it would have to

destroy 348 warheads on Pershing 2 and cruise missiles and the Soviet Union destroy more than 1500 warheads on its SS--20, SS-12, SS-4 and SS-23 missile systems. The missiles have a range of 500 to 5000 kms. Mr Shultz said he would discuss the reduction of long-range missiles in his talks with Mr Shevardnadze next month. Mr Gorbachev said last week that he thought an agreement to cut back the strategic weapons could be reached next year. The United States and the Soviet Union each have about 11,000 of the long-range ballistic missiles.