U.S. Applauds Soviet Plan to Ease Emigration Rules

The Soviet Union has drawn up regulations that would make it much easier for its citizens to emigrate, the State Department said Thursday, praising the Kremlin initiative.

Spokeswoman Phyllis Oakley told a news briefing that Soviet officials have informed U.S. diplomats of the move during talks on human rights last week, when Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze was in Washington to meet Secretary of State George P. Shultz.

“We were pleased to learn that the Soviet authorities have prepared draft regulations which would amend present restrictions,” Oakley said.

“The new legislation, if enacted and implemented, would allow Soviet citizens greater opportunity to exercise their right to emigrate, a right which the Soviet government undertook to uphold by signing the Helsinki Final Act,” she added. Under the 1975 Helsinki accords, Moscow agreed to a number of human rights provisions.

Oakley provided no details of the draft regulations. But the New York Times reported Thursday that Soviets wanting to emigrate would no longer need to receive invitations from close family members who had already settled abroad.

Oakley said some unacceptable restrictions would remain if the new rules were implemented.

“We welcome the reform process under way. However, even with these changes, not all individuals will be able to exercise their right to leave the Soviet Union,” she said, adding that Washington will continue to press Moscow for further reforms.