Gorbachev Skips a Protocol Chore
Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev was not in the welcoming party for Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu when he arrived in Moscow on Tuesday--an apparent signal that the Soviet leader does not intend to fulfill all the protocol functions of his new post.
The Tass news agency said that Ceausescu, on a three-day visit, was greeted by Alexander N. Yakovlev, the Communist Party’s new international affairs chief, and Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze.
Under diplomatic protocol, Gorbachev, who has retained his post as general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, could have been expected to be at the airport to greet Ceausescu, a task normally carried out for visiting foreign heads of state by the host head of state.
Relations between the Soviet Union and Romania, although outwardly friendly, have shown signs of strain recently, and foreign analysts said Ceausescu could be sensitive to any apparent snub.
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