U.S., Soviets Will Discuss Trouble Spots : Arab-Israeli Issue, Iran-Iraq, Afghans on Vienna Agenda

The United States and Soviet Union, stepping up their dialogue on troubled regions of the world, plan to hold talks in Vienna beginning next Tuesday on the Arab-Israeli conflict and other difficult issues, an Administration source said today.

Also on the agenda is the war between Iran and Iraq and the presence of more than 100,000 Soviet troops in Afghanistan.

Richard W. Murphy, assistant secretary of state for the Near East, is expected to head the U.S. delegation.

The talks are part of an Administration effort to better relations with Moscow, as pledged by President Reagan in a U.N. speech last September.

California Vacation

Reagan, as he left the White House by helicopter for a California vacation, was asked what he hoped to get from the talks in Vienna with the Soviets, and replied:

“There are a number of things that I think are of interest to both countries and . . . there’s some reason to believe that we can straighten out some things--trade matters.”

The two sides are due to open negotiations to curb nuclear weapons in Geneva in mid-March.

Partly to ease Israeli concerns, U.S. officials have emphasized there is no plan to call a conference on the Middle East and give the Soviets a major role in seeking an overall settlement.

The Soviets generally side with the Arabs against Israel and have no diplomatic relations with Jerusalem.

Egyptian Support

On a trip here last week, however, Egyptian Foreign Minister Esmat Abdel Meguid, reflecting Cairo’s growing ties with the Soviets, endorsed the idea of such a conference. He said such a meeting in Geneva in 1973 paid off with Israeli withdrawals from parts of the Sinai and Golan Heights.

The Administration has a strong interest in trying to persuade the Soviets to reduce their presence in Afghanistan. Muslim rebels in that country have been fighting a bloody battle against Soviet troops since 1979.

An Afghan settlement could center on U.S. acceptance of Soviet influence in the country, which lies along the Soviet border, coupled with a troop pullback.

The Iran-Iraq war appears to threaten the interests of both superpowers, with its potential to spread throughout the Persian Gulf region. Western oil supplies could be at risk.