Reagan, Soviet Chief to Address Other’s Nation

President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev will address each other’s nation New Year’s Day, the White House announced today.

“By mutual agreement, President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev will exchange New Year’s greetings,” said an announcement issued as Reagan flew to California for the New Year’s holiday.

The announcement said their messages will be recorded in advance and made available for radio and television broadcast at 1 p.m. EST, which is 9 p.m. Moscow time, on Jan. 1.

First Since 1972

This will be the first time an American President has addressed the people of the Soviet Union via television since Richard M. Nixon did during a visit to Moscow in 1972.

The United States initiated a proposal to exchange addresses a year ago in a letter from Charles Z. Wick, director of the U.S. Information Agency, to his Soviet counterpart. But White House spokesman Larry Speakes said the letter never drew a Soviet response.

The agreement announced today was a result of a U.S. proposal made through diplomatic channels during preparations for the November summit between the two leaders in Geneva, Speakes said.

The United States received a “positive response from the Soviets in the last three to four days,” he said.

Speakes said both addresses will be about five minutes long, and the subject is “basically open.” Both leaders are expected to extend New Year’s greetings “in the spirit of good relations,” he said.

‘An Important Event’

Speakes said the United States and the Soviet Union have exchanged written New Year’s greetings in the past but never broadcast messages. “We of course believe this is an important event,” he said.

Speakes said the President’s message will be recorded in his suite at the Century Plaza in Los Angeles on Saturday, and the tape will be made available to the Soviet Embassy, which will arrange for the broadcast in the Soviet Union.