MOSCOW: Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin said today [April 5] that a thermonuclear war could and should be avoided but that the Soviet Union was determined to aid the Viet-Namese people until they achieved “final victory” against the “invaders”.

The Soviet Premier, addressing the 23rd Congress of the Soviet Communist Party, said: “The USSR will continue to give the Viet-Namese people the necessary aid until its heroic fight against the invaders leads to final victory.”

Mr Kosygin said that because of the international situation and the war in Viet-Nam, Russia had been compelled to increase its defence expenditure. He pointed out that the United States had earmarked additional credits of 13 million dollars to finance the Viet-Nam war.

Under the conditions, he told delegates, the USSR cannot weaken its defence potential. “We must continue to reinforce our Armed Forces, regarding this as an essential task.”

At the same time, Mr Kosygin said, the Soviet Union hoped that a “strong and reliable front of opponents of a new world war” could be created.

“The aggressors can and must be curbed, a new world war can and must be prevented,” he said. The Soviet Union, therefore, thought it had reasons to envisage the future with “optimism”, the Soviet Premier said.

Mr Kosygin further stated: “Any initiative genuinely aimed at the preservation and strengthening of peace will meet a positive response and support on our part.”

He said, “The international situation has seriously deteriorated in recent years because of the United States which has unleashed and is stepping up the aggressive war in Viet-Nam that can assume even greater scope at any moment and is a threat to universal peace.”

He was giving these views in a report on the Soviet economy.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2016