Lithuanian Parliament Delays Debate on Suspending Freedom Declaration

The Lithuanian Parliament has put off debate on suspending its independence declaration, President Vytautas Landsbergis was quoted as saying Monday.

Landsbergis told the official Soviet Tass news agency there are no plans in the next few days for the Parliament to examine a moratorium on the declaration during talks with Soviet authorities on the future of the Baltic republic.

Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev suggested the move during talks in Moscow last week with the leaders of all three Baltic republics--Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

The Lithuanian government asked Parliament on Saturday to approve the proposal so talks could start.

Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai I. Ryzhkov said last week that the Kremlin would “normalize” economic relations with Lithuania if talks began--meaning an end to crippling economic sanctions against the republic.

Lithuania’s Parliament had been due to examine the proposal today, with deputies deeply divided. Officials say a substantial number oppose a freeze and want additional guarantees from Moscow.

A parliamentary spokesman said by telephone from Vilnius that the debate will probably take place Friday after Prime Minister Kazimiera Prunskiene returns from a trip to Greece.

Landsbergis told Tass that the moratorium or freeze was “one possible formula, a matter for discussion.”

“Discussion of this requires preparation, including preparation of public opinion,” he said.