Soviet Debts to U.S. Increase

The Soviet Bloc’s debts to the West will rise to about $83 billion this year, compared to $74 billion at the end of 1985, the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe reported today.

The commission attributed most of the increase to the decline of the dollar against foreign currencies and to more borrowing by some Eastern countries to finance payments on their deficits. East-West trade “is holding up better than expected” and will grow by about 3% this year and in the near future, the commission said.