Soviets Present Medium-Range Missile Plan

The Soviet Union presented a draft treaty today calling for elimination of all Soviet and U.S. medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe, Soviet arms delegation spokesman Vladimir Shibanov said.

(The White House, meanwhile, said the United States will push for elimination of all medium-range missiles, including 100 warheads each side is currently targeted to retain on its own soil.

(Presidential spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said this goal would be pursued in follow-on negotiations.)

“We have presented a draft treaty. It covers all aspects for an agreement to eliminate medium-range missiles in Europe,” Shibanov told reporters.

Goes to U.S. Mission

Soviet negotiator Alexei Obukhov spent more than two hours at the American diplomatic mission in Geneva explaining the draft to a U.S. arms negotiating team led by Maynard Glitman.

It was the first detailed document setting out a range of new initiatives on the so-called “Euromissiles” since Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev said in February he was ready to sign a separate pact on such weapons.

Shibanov declined to give any further details.

U.S. delegation spokesman Terry Shroeder said most of the Soviet delegation left the U.S. mission after the official presentation but Obukhov and Glitman, flanked only by their deputies, remained for further talks on the day’s events.

Best Prospect So Far

In the past, the senior negotiators have stayed on after major new proposals to discuss the best way to organize their work during the round to pursue the initiatives.

The “Euromissile” talks have held out the best prospect for an accord since the superpowers resumed arms control efforts in March, 1985.

Skeptics concerned over offer. Page 8.