WASHINGTON: The United States and the Soviet Union said today [March 28] they were determined to find solutions to problems blocking new agreements on limiting strategic arms. Their pledge was in a joint communique on the results of talks held by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev in Moscow. The communique confirmed remarks attributed to a high American official with Dr Kissinger … that the Moscow talks had failed to produce breakthrough in strategic arms limitation talks (SALT). …

The sides agreed that, despite the complexity of the problem, there are possibilities for reaching mutually acceptable solution. … The communique said both countries were convinced that the Moscow talks had been an important stage in preparations for a successful third Soviet-American summit. … Both countries — the convenors of the Geneva peace conference on the Middle East — promised they would work to promote the solution of key problems standing in the way of an Arab-Israeli settlement. The communique said the United States and the Soviet Union noted with satisfaction the process of detente between them which began with President Nixon’s visit to the Soviet Union in 1972. — News agencies

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2024