Hart Meets Gromyko, Says Soviets Want Talks Soon

Sen. Gary Hart met for two hours today with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko and said afterward that he believed arms control talks between the Soviet Union and the United States could begin “in a matter of weeks.”

Hart told reporters that Gromyko gave the impression the Kremlin wants the talks to start soon, but only if both sides come up with concrete proposals.

“Sooner is better than later, but sooner is not preferred if it only leads to generalities,” said the Colorado Democrat, who unsuccessfully sought his party’s presidential nomination last year.

As he did in a televised interview Sunday with Soviet reporters, Gromyko stressed the Soviet Union’s concern over space weapons, according to Hart.

Hart said he also raised general human rights issues with the Soviet official and mentioned some specific cases concerning relatives of Coloradans. He declined to identify the individuals but said Gromyko promised to have his staff look into the cases.

The senator arrived here late Wednesday and is scheduled to meet Friday with Georgi A. Arbatov, one of the Kremlin’s leading U.S. experts. He plans to leave Moscow on Monday.