U.S. Arms Control Team in Moscow for Vital Talks

A high-powered but diverse team of U.S. arms control negotiators arrived in Moscow on Sunday for secrecy-shrouded talks with their Soviet counterparts that could decide whether a Reagan-Gorbachev summit will he held this year.

The Tass news agency said the meetings are part of the preparations for the Sept. 19-20 sessions between Secretary of State George P. Shultz and Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze that are expected to decide if President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev will meet in the United States this year at a second superpower summit. The two leaders held their first meeting in Geneva last November.

Includes Critics

The American team, headed by veteran negotiator Paul H. Nitze but including such Pentagon critics of arms control agreements as Assistant Defense Secretary Richard N. Perle, came here as part of pre-summit preparations.

The team flew to Moscow on an Air Force plane, and there was no Soviet representative on hand to greet them upon arrival at Sheremetyevo Airport. Even so, they received VIP treatment to skip through passport and customs formalities.

They avoided the questions of Western reporters and were ushered into American Embassy cars that took them to Moscow’s most luxurious hotel, where they will stay during the two-day talks.

Even as the U.S. negotiators arrived, a senior Soviet commentator belittled Reagan’s latest reply to Gorbachev’s June arms reduction plan.

Alexander Bovin, speaking on a popular television news analysis program, declared: “As far as any constructive political solution is concerned, the (Reagan) letter does not signal any advance in this respect.”

“The question of a summit meeting remains open,” he added. “Neither Moscow nor Washington can say yet if the meeting will be held, though the preparation for it is being made.” Except for Bovin’s comments, however, there was nothing but silence from both the American and Soviet sides on the eve of the meetings here.

The American delegation said in advance it would make no statement to reporters on the extraordinary Moscow session of top arms control specialists.

Nitze, a special adviser to Reagan who helped to negotiate some of the treaties limiting strategic missiles, only glared at reporters who were waiting for his arrival at the airport.

Other Delegates

Other members of the delegation include Max M. Kampelman, chief U.S. negotiator at the Geneva nuclear arms control talks, and his associates, career diplomats Ronald F. Lehman and Maynard W. Glitman. Edward L. Rowny, director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, as well as Perle and a Pentagon arms specialist, Robert E. Linhard, also are expected to participate.

On the Soviet side, chief Geneva arms negotiator Viktor P. Karpov is expected to head the Moscow team, which will also include the Kremlin’s spokesman at Geneva on strategic arms, Alexei A. Obukhov. Col. Gen. Nikolai F. Chervov of the general staff and arms expert Nikolia Ditinov will complete the Soviet team.

Secrecy surrounded the objectives and even the venue of the talks that were announced less than a week ago.