SOVIET UNION EASTERN EUROPE

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
17
Document Creation Date: 
December 20, 2016
Document Release Date: 
February 17, 2006
Sequence Number: 
1
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
February 11, 1975
Content Type: 
NOTES
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PDF icon CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3.pdf485.71 KB
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Approved For Release 2006/03/17 :CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Top Secret ~~QC~~ a04[~ Soviet Union Eastern Europe State Department review completed On file Department of Agriculture release instructions apply. Top Secret ~, ~-+ 25X1 Februar 11 1975 Approved For Release 2006/03/17 :CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 25X1 gpproved For Release 2006/03/17 :CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved For Release 2006/03/17 :CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved For Release 2 - 01-3 CONTENTS February 11, 1975 Ilichev to Return to Peking. . 1 Moscow Announces Plans for the 30th Anniversary of World War II 3 Pravda Has Kind Words for Armenian Efforts 5 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved For Relea$ Tlichev to Return. 'to Peking According to the Agence France Presse, the chief Soviet negotiator at the Sino-Soviet border talks, Deputy Foreign Minister Leonid 2lichev, will return to Peking on February 12. The negotiations have been suspended since last-August when Tlichev left. Tn mid-November Ambassador Stoessel was told that Ilichev would be going to Peking at some time in the future to show Soviet good faith. Tlichev returns to Peking after a period during which both China and the USSR have forcibly restated their positions on the issues that. have stalled ne- gotiations since their inception in 1969. Recent Chinese statements, including Premier Chou En-tai's major speech last month, have insisted upon condi- tions Moscow has consistently found unacceptable. It is unlikely, under these circumstances, that any movement will appear on either side if, indeed, an- other round of border talks begins. Ilichev's reported arrival comes two days before the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, This treaty has been ignored by both sides in public in recent years, but the Soviets may intend to mark this anniversary with publicity pro- claiming their desire to improve Sino-Soviet rela- tions. They could point to Ilichev's presencee i~ Peking as evidence of their aood intentions. February 11, 1975 Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 25X1 gpproved For Release 2006/03/17 :CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved For Release 2006/03/17 :CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved For Releas Moscow Announces Plans for the 30th Anniversary of World War II The Soviets are preparing to make the 30th an- niversary of victory in Europe a major domestic prop- aganda event and are trying to generate extensive in- ternational participation as well. A CPSU Central Committee announcement on February 9 outlines plans for the celebration. Nationwide activities are con- centrated in a five-day period ending May 9, with party, government, and mass organizations being called upon to organize and carry out activities at all levels of society in celebration of the victory. Highlights are to be a joint armed forces - workers meeting in the Kremlin palace of congresses on February 8, and an '?a11 people's" holiday on the 9th. A military parade may be held on the final day of the festivities. The main themes of the celebration will be the leading role the CPSU played in the war, the unity of party and people, the pre-eminent contribution of the Soviet armed forces to the defeat of Germany and Japan, and the military might of the Soviet state. World War II will be portrayed, as usual, as a conflict between imperialism-and socialism. Other themes will be the importance of national. resistance movements in occupied territory, the need for improved ideological work in the armed forces (the subject of an ongoing campaign) and military preparedness. While the lengthy announcement is basically an "anti-imperialist" diatribe, the contribution of the "anti-Hitler coalition" to the war effort and present- day detente both received brief but positive treatment. The allied effort during the war is cited as an example of the possibility of cooperation between states with differing social systems. Detente, which the announce- ment alleges had its genesis in the peace proposals of February 11, 1975 Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved Fq' r Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A0 the 24th party congress, is described as a positive step, but the document cautions that the forces of reaction and aggression are still active and that continued vigilance is mandatory. The Soviets have attempted to enlist governments of the other allied powers in large-scale joint cere- monies commemorating the victory, but sc far have not made much headway. Some minor activities, on the scale of previous annual celebrations, are planned in various West European countries--excluding- Germany. There is little indication so far as to how the Soviets will handle the touchy role of Stalin during the war. He was not mentioned in the Central Committee document, and the emphasis placed on the party--rather than on any individual--suggests that Stalin's contri- bution will be treated circumspectly. Gne new Soviet movie depicts St~.lin as confused and indecisive after the Nazi invasion, but as developing into a strong leader as the war progressed. Such attempts at real- ism may become standard in handling this problem. Brezhnev"s position is also being treated some- what ambiguously. He is mentioned only once--in pro forma fashion--in the Central Committee announcement. His wartime role has received some favorable press pub- licity recently, although his name was cor_spicuously omitted from at least one Pravda account of the activi- ties of his unit during the conflict. They above omis- sion may indicate possible uncertainty about the future of Brezhnev's role in the collective when he resumes his duties. Febr-uary 11, :1975 25X1 pproved~For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved For Release 2b06/03/17 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-~ 25X1 Pravda Has Kind Words or Armenian Efforts Pravda reported on February 4 that a recent plenum of the Armenian party Central Committee had pointed out major shortcomings in economic and cul- tural programs in the republic, as well as omissions in ideological and educational work there. Pravda also said that the plenum participants had expressed "profound gratitude" to the CPSU Central Committee for its "constant great concern" for the develop- ment of the republic's economy and culture. The report ended with a prediction that communists and all working people in Armenia "would not stint their strength and energy" in their struggle to fulfill the targets for 19x5 and for the five-year plan as a whole. This is the most positive assessment of the situation in Armenia to appear in Pravda since K. S. Demirchyan replaced A. Ye. Kochinyan as republic party boss there last November. It may be another sign that the authorities in Moscow are confident that Demirchyan is well on his way toward putting Armenia's house in order. Republic premier A. G. Arzumanyan had given a similar hint in a KomosomoZ- skaya Pravda article on January 7. Responding to the annual CPSU Central Committee appeal for ful- fillment of the economic plans, Arzumanyan empha- sized the steps being taken in the republic to put an end to the shortcomings that had been exposed at the November plenum there, when Demirchyan replaced Kochinyan. A somewhat negative note was struck, however, by the Komsomol Central Committee Bureau resolution, published in KomsomoZskaya Pravda on February 5, on the work of Armenian Komsomol units in preparing for the exchange of Komsomol documents scheduled to begin February 11, 1975 Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved Fo Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A next month. Although the resolution contains some praise for the Armenian Komsomol, the shortcomings that are mentioned reflect unfavorably upon the republic party organization's supervision of the local Komsomol units. These shortcomings are hardly unique to the Armenian organization, but it may have been singled out for public criticism to keep the pressure on Demirchyan to continue with his house- cleaning. February 11, 1975 ,,, w Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved For Relea Podgorny Trip A.gairi P~ost~ioned Soviet President Podgorny's visit t.o Tanzania has apparently again been bost~soned. Podgorny reportedly was scheduled to go to Tanzania last December, but that visit was canceled at the last minute. No ex lanation was iyen for either ost onem February 11, 1975 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved F CHRONOLOGY February 4 Tass denies report that the i7SSR requested use of Portu uese ports for its fishing boats. Foreign Minister Gromyko ar~d Egyptian President Sadat meet for four hours in Cairo. Three of the USSR s leadinc; ;;pace officials visit Cape Canaveral, the first official Soviet tour of that facility. an overnight visit. Romanian chief of staff Conaan concludes a visit to Sudan and flies. to Italy for to India. Politburo candidate-member R~~shidov returns to the USSR after a ~Tisit US Export-Import Bank announc=es that a credit of a little more than $1.3 million has been extended to Poland. :February 5 Pravda prints an authoritati~re "I. Aleksandrov" critique of the new Chinese constitution. from late February to early April. will postpone his visit to ttie US5R French Socialist leader Mitterrand announces that, at Soviet request, he :February 11, 1975 Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved For Rely Radio and television officials of the USSR and seven other CEMA member-states complete a two~day meeting in Moscow, three-day visit to Egypt. Foreign Minister Gromyko concludes a February 6 U5SR formally protests to the three Western powers the establishment of the EC's vocational center in West Berlin. officials. Soviet dissident artist Rabin tells the US that plans for another exhibit by Moscow's abstract artists have been approved "in principle" by municipal on possible exchanges of art. the USSR will bu the same amount of corn. Politburo candidate-member Demichev confers with Armand Hammer of the U5 U5 Department of Agriculture confirms that the USSR has canceled orders for 200,000 metric tons of US wheat: Soviet officials in Moscow say, however, that Committee in Tashkent. Politburo candidate-member Rashidov addresses a plenum of the Uzbek Central February 7 Representatives of CEMA and the EC conclude three days of apparently unproductive talks in Moscow. k'ebruary 11, 1975 Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved Fo 25X1 Politburo member Kirilenko heads the list of Soviet officials meeting with exiled Chilean Socialists in Moscow. Romanian President Ceausescu addresses the final session of a three-day agri- cludes a three-day visit to China. Romanian Deputy Premier Radulescu con- a three-day visit to East Germany. UN Secretary General Waldheim commences Council of Ministers convenes in Moscow to discuss "the results of the fulfill- ment of the state plan for the develop- ment of the national econom of the USSR for 1974." New Zealand Prime Minister Row ling leaves on an extended trip that will include visits to Romania and Yugoslavia. February 8 Soviet cosmonauts slated for the joint venture into space in Jul arrive at Cape Canaveral. Romanian Defense Minister Ionita con- cludes a three-day visit to Yugoslavia. Polish Foreign Minister Olszowski con- cludes a three-day visit to Huncrarv _ February 11, 1975 Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T 06A Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-~ 25X1 Hungary and Jamaica establish dip- Pravda announces the completion. of a two-year exchan e o~ art cards far CPSU members. February 9 The two Soyuz-17 cosmonauts return to earth in the Kazakh SSR after a 30-day mission aboard Salyut-4. February 10 US and USSR resume in Moscow their talks on handling peaceful nuclear explosion devices in a threshold test ban treaty. Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs official registers oral complaints to the US over Radio Liberty broad- casts and an article on Solzhenitsyn in "Dialogue"--an English language publication distributed in Moscow by the US embassy. February 11 Romanian President Ceausescu addresses a meeting of his ambassadors and trade officials in Bucharest. February 13 UK Prime Minister Wilson and Foreign Secretary Callaghan to be in a five- day visit to the USSR. February Secretary of State Kissinger and 16-17 Foreign Minister Gromyko to meet in Geneva. February 11, 1975 Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved For February 17 Ministerial-level Egyptian economic delegation to visit the USSR. February 18 Yugoslav Central Committee. to convene for a plenum session. February 22 Defense Minister or 23 visit to India. February 24 US and USSR to resume in Washington their talks on an agreement to curb efforts to modify the environment to gain military advant-ages. :February 26 early March French Foreign Minister Sauvagnargues to be in a three-day visit to Poland. to visit the USSR. French parliamentary delegation led by former foreign minister Couve de Murville March 4 26-nation Geneva disarmament conference, co-chaired b the US and the USSR, to convene. March 11 Romanian chief of staff Coman to begin a nine-day visit to the US, the first by such a high-ranking officer of a Warsaw Pact member-state. March 16 Swedish Prime Minister Palme to commence a three-day visit to Yugosla~Tia. February 11, 1975 Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T0865A ' 03 024 1., Approved For Rele~ March 17 Hungarian Communist Party Congress to open. March ~~ Yugoslav Premier Bijedic ex acted to began a visit to the US. 25X1 state visit to Yugoslavia? early April Romanian President Ceausescu to make a state visit to Jordan, the first visit there by the chief of state of a Com- munist bloc nation. Februaxy 11, 1975 Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Approved For Release 2006/03/17 :CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3 Top Secret Top Secret Approved For Release 2006/03/17 :CIA-RDP79T00865A000300240001-3