_WORLD

USSR urge

-free Arctic

naval activity in the seas that wash the

ie By FRED WEIR shores of northern Europe. For our part, ‘or Moscow Correspondent the Soviet Union proposes that consulta- 72 Earlier this month, in the Soviet Arctic tions should begin between the Warsaw nid city of Murmansk, Soviet leader Mikhail jet Bes eng. pe DNR) 98 al Gorbachev delivered an address which restriction of naval activity and scaling A may be of incalculable significance for down military activities in the Baltic, tag Canada. In it he laid out, in the straight- North Sea, Norwegian and Greenland forward Gorbachev style, a plan for defus- | seas, and new confidence-building a Ing tensions, eliminating nuclear weapons measures in those areas. ym and ushering in a new era of co-operation “At the same time we propose to con- r- | #Mong the nations of the northern hemis- sider the question of banning naval activ- nd Phere. ity in mutually agreed zones of intensive ia. “The community and interrelationship shipping and important waterways. A ce- of interests of our entire world can per- meeting of representatives of the coun- ar- haps be better felt in the north than any- tries concerned could be held for this ign Where else on earth. The Arctic and purpose, for instance, in Leningrad.” ity North Atlantic are much more than just = Third. The Soviet Union attaches

Ar. the ‘weather kitchen’ which gives birth “The USSR favours a radical lowering of the level of military confrontation in the Arctic...let_ uch importance to peaceful coopera-

‘of | tocyclones and anti-cyclones that domi- the northern part of our globe become a zone of peace,” Gorbachev proposed in a major _ tion in developing the resources of the Nate the climate of Europe, the U.S. and speech last week. Photo: A 1960s Distant Early Warning system (DEW) installation at north. Here an exchange of experience —7 Canada, and even Southeast Asia and Resolute Bay. Today Canada’s north is being rapidly absorbed into Reagan’s Star Wars, first | and knowledge is extremely important.

Africa. Here too one can feel the icy

- breath of the Pentagon’s ‘polar strategy.’

An immense arsenal of nuclear destruc- tion is concentrated aboard submarines and surface ships which affects the Political climate of the entire world and Might, in its turn, be detonated by some accidental political or military shock in any other region of the world.

“The militarization of this part of the World is acquiring a highly threatening Character. One cannot but feel concern Over the fact that NATO, in preparation for an agreement on medium and short- €r-range missiles, is getting ready to de- Ploy sea-and-air’ based cruise missiles in the North Atlantic. This would mean an additional threat to the USSR as well as-

to all the-countries of northern Europe. »

ee

Modern civilization has — the Potential to make the Arctic habitable to the benefit of all humanity. Security Problems that have accumulated there

- heed to be resolved, in the first place, to ‘Make such material progress possible.

strike strategy. ©

“The Soviet Union is for a radical lowering of the level of military con- frontation in the region. Let the northern part of our globe, the Arctic, become a zone of peace. Let the North Pole be a pole of peace. We want to suggest that all countries concerned should embark upon negotiations to achieve the scaling down of military activity in the north asa whole, on both sides.

‘‘What, specifically, do we mean?

‘*First, we are for a nuclear weapons- free zone in northern Europe. If such a declaration were adopted, the Soviet Union —as we have often said — would be prepared to act as a guarantor of it. It would be up to the countries concerned

to.decide..how..to. formalize. this guaran-..

tee: by multilateral or bilateral agree- ments, government statements, or in

* some other way.”

Gorbachev indicated Soviet readiness to discuss the nuts and bolts of such an agreement, including the removal of nu-

clear weapons from the corresponding parts of Soviet territory. Ballistic missile submarines in the Baltic Sea, he said, would be included in the Soviet with- drawal. He reminded his listeners that the USSR last year unilaterally disman- tled all of its nuclear missile launchers on the Kola Peninsula and Baltic military region.

Gorbachev then noted that one pos- sible obstacle to the creation of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the north is the Soviet testing range at Novaya Zemlya. ‘‘We are thinking how to solve this prob- lem, which is a difficult one for us,’’ he said, ‘‘because so much money has been invested in this facility. But frankly speaking, the question could be resolved once and for all if the United States were to agree to stop nuclear tests, or at least reduce to the bare minimum their num-

ber and yield.

‘*Second, we welcome:the initiative of Finland’s president about restricting

Through joint efforts it could be possible to work out an overall concept of ra- tionally developing northern areas. We propose, for instance, to reach agree- menton working out a single energy pro- gram for the north of Europe... We have an interest in drawing Canada and Nor- way into the creation of mixed firms and enterprises for extracting oil and gas on the shelf of our northern seas. We are

prepared to talk with other states as well...

**Fourth, the scientific study of the Arctic is of immense importance for the whole of humanity. We have a wealth of experience here and we are prepared to share it. In turn, we are interested in studies conducted in other sub-Arctic and northern countries. We already have a program of scientific exchanges with — Canada.

“‘We propose to hold in 1988 a con- ference of sub-arctic states to co-or- dinate research in the Arctic. The con- ference could study the question of set- ting up a joint Arctic scientific council.

a ‘ Should the partners agree, Murmansk F 2 could serve as the venue for the con- “ly N Oo OCUS Tom Morris ference. tly f TE RNATI BE AL Ee ‘‘Questions connected with the inter- | i ests of the indigenous population of the ; north, the study of its ethnic specificities a. Gorbachev wins, lives, as have Guatemalans, Lebanese, Arrogance and the development of cultural ties be- - Re agan loses South fee oe: Namibians, of power eon northern peoples require special because of U.S. policy. — attention. . __ AUS. Gallup Poll last week showed The U.S. military machine has been President Reagan spoke before the “Fifth, we attach special importance : two astonishing (and heartening) re- reborn and the arms race escalated. _Qrganization of American States Oct. 7 to the cooperation of Nordic countries. Sults: Star Wars will breach the last frontier where he did two things: He asked In environmental protection. The urgen- -__ One: Reagan would not be re-elected with death weapons too horrible toim- Congress for $270-million for contra cy of this is obvious. . . The Soviet Union if he ran again; SS aging funding, and he put forward a list of proposes to jointly work out a single > Two: Gorbachev is more highly Reagan will be gone soon. Hopefully, American demands Nicaragua must comprehensive plan for protecting the . Tegarded than all declared Democratic. “so will the worst of his eae oe meet. nature of the north. The northern Euro- hopefuls for president — except Jesse ies. Perhaps then the U.S. might begin - aes : pean countries could set an example to tee sy ee : : Foncanals how to live on this ee at pie peep cn eas others by reaching agreement on the es pa- Neither result, of course, can be planet with others, rather than trying to one in exhibiting the sheer tablishment of a system to monitor the ark Proven conclusively. Mercifully, U.S. rule it. het Ee gance of U.S. imperialist power an state of the natural environment, and to ue _ law prohibits Reagan from running 2 2 eae : monitor radiation safety in the region. A again, and Gorbachev already has a top se : We must hasten to protect the tundra and oe | Pou ee hg ee ; But maybe, just maybe, the 8-year ; eee uaa “Sixth, the shortest sea route from ing Reagan niptitmare will end both:fior the mee ee a se ee com- Europe to the Far East and the Pacific ect American people and for the world. monly known.as t as Plan. The Ocean passes through the Arctic. I think le Bechaps Aha acai aie sed upioeth U.S. was not asked to be, nor is it a that depending on progress in the normal- om Benn befire butter iusautiveehhs party to the agreement. For the first ization of international relations we i Mindless, scary anti-Soviet fanaticism. BUG Re 2AHODS SENET ae ae & gould oe the North Sea route to for- : After all, Reaganomics has cost the onan effort toy. colicctively ss : eign shipping, with the Soviet Union “ing BES Say naver Dilionedebne disteites address the issues they face as a region providing the services of its icebreak- ate the exhort by worshipping at the — an end to military hostilities. CIS s- ¢ 10 Bir of the sims makers it has been Even more than peace itself, Wash- These six points constitute Gorba- an disaster for workers, jobless, the poor, ington fears independent, united politi- chey’s opening to Canada and the other ee Women, non-whites, the elderly: cal action by, of and for the people of northern countries. It is not a sweeping i Internationally, Reaganism. (except Central America. It sets an example. It program — he is a realistic man — but if the -for the INF agreement, if it goes changes the old rules. Uncle Sam and we took it seriously, it could be a through) has set world relations back his United States Marines no longer call momentous beginning. ou ‘dangerously. It has cost the Nica Me bloated 2 toe Shots: aoe it time the Mulroney government red Taguans 30,000 dead; it cost the Grena-___—-Reagan’s eight-year ‘egaty: & oon As well, independence is highly con- Pped is Hrrvolos attitude and bezams 10 ian people their country. Thousands __ military, a distorted economy, ity? tagious _ Serious dialogue on these points? Or do fid- Of Salvadorans have paid with their world. After 1988 a time for sanity : they think the nuclear arms race and the

cold war can go on forever?

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 14, 1987 e 9

Rese se ene ee