DOBRYNIN RETURNING TO MOSCOW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88B00443R001304040042-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Sequence Number: 42
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2008/02/21: CIA-RDP88B00443R001304040042-7
SEC 'T
Reuters last week cited "diplomatic sources" to the effect
that Ambassador Dobrynin was slated to return to Moscow. Accord-
ing to these sources, Dobrynin is to become a senior adviser to
Andropov more or less equal to Foreign Minister Gromyko. They
claimed that a search was under way for an appropriate successor
to Dobrynin.
Since Rrezhnev's death a"number of Soviet officials have
reported that Dobrynin's return to Moscow was imminent. The recent
25X1 report is the only one that has suggested friction between
Gromyko and Andropov. One other report has indicated that Andropov
does not like Dobrynin and that Dobrynin might be made one of
several deputy foreign ministers. Other Soviet officials have
said that Gromyko supports Andropov and have generally spoken in
terms of promot:Wns for both Dobrynin and Gromyko, with Dobrynin
replacing Gromyko at the Foreign Ministry and Gromyko moving into
the vacant. presidency.
A spokesman for the Soviet Embassy last week publicly dis-
counted the rumors about a transfer for Dobrynin. In view of the
persistence of reporting from a wide variety of sources, however,
we believe it likely that such a transfer is in fact under consid-
eration in Moscow. Dobrynin's appointment as Foreign minister
would indicate that the leadership is placing the highest priority
on improving relations with the US.
25X1
Approved For Release 2008/02/21: CIA-RDP88B00443R001304040042-7