Sweden, Finland in Missile Ban Appeal
Sweden joined Finland on Monday in urging the United States and the Soviet Union to discuss a ban on cruise missiles, 10 days after a stray Soviet cruise missile accidentally crashed in Finland.
Prime Minister Olof Palme said Sweden would welcome a ban on the missiles, adding he hopes that the issue will play a central role in the Geneva talks between Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko and Secretary of State George P. Shultz.
Speaking after talks with Finnish President Mauno Koivisto, Palme said both neutral states are worried about the implications of the radar-evading missiles for the security of the north.
Koivisto, who appealed to the two superpowers to ban or at least restrict long-range cruise missiles in his New Year’s message, said Monday he had made the speech without knowing a Soviet cruise missile had crashed in Finland on Dec. 28.
The Soviet Union apologized to Norway and Finland on Friday and blamed the incident on an aging missile that went off course while being used for target practice during a Soviet naval exercise in the Barents Sea.
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