Crucial Year for U.S., Soviet Union

This year will be very important for Soviet-American relations. The leaders of our countries will meet again at their June summit.

Much depends on how we understand each other. In this connection, the Soviet side is attempting to clarify its position. One example was the article “A Soviet View of Using Force as Foreign Policy” (Opinion, Dec. 24). The author of the article was Georgi Arbatov, director of the Institute of U.S. and Canadian Studies of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (not a member of the Politburo, as he was incorrectly identified in your newspaper).

Arbatov wrote: “The idea of ‘de-ideologizing’ international relations and overcoming dogmatic stereotypes and prejudices in world politics has already been introduced into official Soviet foreign-policy doctrine and has become a key element of Mikhail S. Gorbachev’s New Thinking.”

We have grounds for optimism.

As (Soviet Foreign Minister) Eduard A. Shevardnadze stressed recently, the Soviet side does not doubt that it will be able to complete work on an agreement on the reduction of conventional arms--the first of its kind and one heralding a truly historic breakthrough. This, in turn, will make realistic the convocation of an all-European summit conference--Helsinki 2, and large-scale discussion of further stages in arms and troop reduction.

We also regard as quite realistic the prospects this year for a treaty on 50% cuts in U.S.S.R. and U.S. strategic offensive arms, which will open a new epoch in disarmament.

There are also good prospects for development of economic cooperation on a large scale, mutually beneficial and equal. We need such cooperation--but by the same token, the United States also needs a stable and reliable Soviet market.

ALEXANDER MALYSHKIN

Senior Information Officer

Soviet Embassy

Washington, D.C.