Gorbachev Offers Talks on Removal of Asian Missiles

Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev today offered to begin negotiations on short-range missiles in Asia simultaneously with their removal from Europe--an apparent concession to U.S. demands for a global approach to nuclear arms control.

Gorbachev’s offer, included in a speech to visiting Polish leader Wojciech Jaruzelski, followed talks last week with Secretary of State George P. Shultz and a congressional delegation.

He said the Soviet position was “to eliminate the Soviet and American shorter-range missiles simultaneously in Europe and to hold talks on such missiles in the East of our country and in the territory of the United States.”

The Soviet missiles in the Far East are directed mainly at China and the Pacific, Alaska and Japan.

Soviet negotiators arrived in Geneva today for a reopening of talks Thursday, saying they have instructions to seek a treaty this year on eliminating medium-range missiles in Europe.

Soviet arms negotiator Alexi Obukhov said the Soviet Union wants “immediate conclusion of a separate treaty” on medium-range missiles in the European theater.

As soon as that is signed, he said, Moscow would agree to the elimination in Europe “within about a year” of all shorter-range weapons.

Medium-range missiles have a range of 600 to 3,000 miles, while short-range missiles have a range of 300 to 600 miles.

Western diplomats said the offer to include the Asian missiles could advance the arms negotiations if it is serious, but added they were waiting to see what the Soviet delegation offers when the new round opens Thursday.