Shevardnadze Says Soviets Join U.S. on Chemical Weapons, Issues New Challenge

Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze, going a step further than President Bush, said today that Moscow will match U.S. reductions in chemical weapons and he challenged the United States to ban the devices completely and to halt nuclear testing.

Shevardnadze, in a speech to the General Assembly, said Moscow will join the United States and “radically reduce or completely destroy” all the chemical weapons it has stockpiled.

But he also issued a new set of challenges. He said the Soviet Union will stop production of chemical weapons, halt nuclear tests and stop making weapons-grade plutonium and uranium--all if Washington reciprocates.

The speech was a prompt reply from Moscow to Bush’s proposal before the General Assembly Monday to drastically reduce chemical weapons stockpiles. The proposal was given to the Soviets during the weekend and announced by Bush in his U.N. address.

Bush offered an 80% cut in U.S. chemical weapons stockpiles if the Soviets reciprocate.

The delegates in the hall, including Secretary of State James A. Baker III and U.S. Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering, gave Shevardnadze a warm round of applause after his speech.

Baker met with the Soviet foreign minister for about seven minutes after the speech, but declined to say what they talked about.

He said Shevardnadze’s speech was “very responsive to the President’s statement.” He said he had to study it more closely but does not think the proposals went beyond those of the President.

Speaking to delegates of 159 nations, Shevardnadze said Moscow “is ready to reinstate its moratorium on all nuclear explosions any day and hour, if the United States reciprocates.”

Moscow has declared several such moratoriums, which the United States has declined to join. U.S. officials said the Soviets initiated such moratoriums after completing a series of tests.