BILDT TO FOCUS ON SUBMARINE INCURSIONS DURING MOSCOW VISIT

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
0005517522
Release Decision: 
RIFPUB
Original Classification: 
U
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
June 24, 2015
Document Release Date: 
January 31, 2011
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
F-2010-00651
Publication Date: 
February 3, 1993
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PDF icon DOC_0005517522.pdf114.22 KB
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-000175684 Page: 1 of 2 Document 1 CLAS UNCLASSIFIED CLAS UNCLASSIFIED AFSN PM0302131393 DDAT 930203 SLIN Moscow IZVESTIYA in Russian 3 Feb 93 p 3 AUTH Marat Zubko and IZVESTIYA military observer Viktor Litovkin under the general heading: "Swedish Prime Minister Going to Moscow To Resolve 'Periscope Problem"' SUBS [Reports by Marat Zubko and IZVESTIYA military observer Viktor Litovkin under the general heading: "Swedish Prime Minister Going to Moscow To Resolve 'Periscope Problem'" SUBJ Bildt to Focus on Submarine Incursions During Moscow Visit Full Text Superzone of Message 1 ] 2 [Text] Stockholm -- "Carl Bildt is flying to Moscow with a new analysis of the situation concerning foreign submarines violating Swedish territorial waters," Swedish radio stated when commenting on the Swedish prime minister's forthcoming visit to Russia. 3 The local press claims that a wide range of questions concerning bilateral relations, including trade and economic ties, will be discussed at the talks in Moscow, but the Swedish guest intends to focus on the problem of mysterious submariners violating Swedish waters. 4 Your correspondent discovered from Swedish sources that as recently as last week copies of magnetic tapes were sent to Russia, containing recordings of noises from the screws of a submarine (or submarines?) which the Swedish coast defense was hunting in the fall _of-last-year-off the country's eastern seaboard. 5 There are all the signs that Carl Bildt will try and obtain the Russian authorities' admission that it is actually Russian submarines which are the transgressors. The prime minister has consistently favored the version of events which says that Soviet submarines were violating Sweden's skerries in the past, and that now Russia is doing the same. Last year people in Sweden began to express their doubts about this despite the longstanding "periscope campaign." First of all Commodore Carl Andersson, who is well-known in the country and was in the past a leader of the coast defense, stunned many, Swedes by calling the rumpus over the foreign submarines' incursions into the Swedish skerries a "figment of the imagination similar to flying saucers." 7 But not so long ago Wilhelm Agrell, Sweden's leading specialist on problems of peace and conflicts, made a fairly sharp statement: The information about the Russian submarines' actions in the Baltic Sea, which Stockholm is receiving from Moscow, is being hushed up in Sweden. 8 W. Agrell considers that "Swedish-Russian relations are too serious a matter to be entrusted to individuals who decide them at their discretion." The expert also thinks that the prime minister has been tying up all his political prestige in the submarine issue. 9 Several specialists in Stockholm assert that the Swedish guests will even attempt to tie the submarine issue in with that of granting credit to Russia of 1 billion Swedish krone (approximately $135 million) as a single "package" at the talks in Moscow. 10 The Swedish prime minister will also discuss other questions in Moscow, which are complicating Swedish-Russian relations. The following fact testifies to the seriousness of his intentions: His visit will be an official one. [Zubko ends] 11 [Litovkin begins] The Swedish prime minister is expected in Russia. People here wish to draw a line under the protracted "periscope war," W45 UNCLASSIFIED Approved orRelease 0 ^^ O_0 000175684 Page: 2 of 2 although the experts I know claim that this will not be easy to accomplish. 12 The Swedish side does not possess precise and clear arguments which indisputably prove the appearance of Russian submarines in Swedish territorial waters. All the recordings of underwater noises which have been received from Stockholm are of a very poor quality. I1 is impossible to draw from them an unequivocal conclusion about the presence of submarines and to whom they belong. It is no accident that even the prize of 1 million Swedish krone, announced last fall for any Russian Navy sailor providing evidence of the borders being violated, has remained unclaimed. In our experts' opinions, the Swedes will have to find a way of extricating themselves honorably from an unpleasant situation which is of their own making. 13 On the other hand, our Navy's Main Staff is also failing to give the public clear proof that Russian submarines have never been in Swedish waters except for the single incident in 1981. 14 It is being asserted that during the Swedish premier's visit to Russia, he and President B. Yeltsin will sign a document in which both sides will pledge to cooperate in the search for the truth. How successful this cooperation vill be is an open question. (endall) 3 feb 03/1358z feb BT #9059 NNNN