U.S., Soviets Agree to Increases in Their Embassy Staffs
The United States and the Soviet Union have agreed to increases in their embassy staffs, reversing a cutback forced by the Reagan Administration after reporter Nicholas Daniloff was accused in Moscow of spying.
Charles Redman, the State Department spokesman, said Friday that 18 positions were added last month to both the U.S. Embassy in the Soviet capital and to the Soviet Embassy here, along with two additional slots at the U.S. and Soviet consulates in Leningrad and San Francisco.
On Aug. 1, Redman said, 13 additional slots will be added to each of the embassies and two more to the consulates. The maximums then would be 256 for the embassies and 30 for the consulates.
Daniloff’s arrest--he was subsequently released--touched off a diplomatic tiff in which the Reagan Administration in October, 1986, imposed ceilings of 225 at the embassies and 26 at the consulates.
This forced the Soviets, which had a bigger staff, to withdraw about 80 workers.
Explaining the reversal, Redman said the workload at the U.S. Embassy and consulate had increased.
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