First Full Session of Renewed Arms Talks Held

U.S. and Soviet arms delegates on Wednesday held the first full meeting in a new round of negotiations on a treaty to cut each side’s long-range nuclear arsenals by up to half.

The Bush Administration was expected to propose verification measures aimed at speeding progress on the accord with the Soviet Union, but it is not clear when or in what detail the U.S. side presented its proposals. Both sides are observing an official news blackout in Geneva on the substance of the talks.

Bush on Monday proposed that the United States and Soviet Union begin testing verification procedures during negotiations on reducing long-range nuclear forces, rather than waiting until a pact is completed.

The new chief Soviet arms negotiator, Yuri K. Nazarkin, said he will wait for formal submission of the proposal before commenting.

On Tuesday, Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev said a treaty reducing each side’s long-range, or strategic, forces is part of “the next phase” in disarmament.

Nazarkin and the new U.S. chief envoy, Richard R. Burt, led their delegations in the first plenary session of the 11th round of talks, a 2 1/2-hour session at the U.S. mission. The Strategic Arms Reduction Talks began in March, 1985.

The round, due to last about six weeks, began Monday with a meeting of the two delegation heads. Rapid progress in the talks appears unlikely, since both sides have opposing positions on at least three major issues: the U.S. plan for space-based missile defenses, the long-range, sea-launched cruise missiles and the mobile intercontinental missiles.

Along with efforts on an arms treaty, negotiations are also resuming on space and defense.

The Soviets want to link agreements in the two areas, but Washington has refused.

Under the Bush plan, both sides would begin tackling the tricky problem of verification early by testing on-site monitoring procedures during the talks, rather than after the treaty is finished.