BREZHNEV IN MONGOLIA

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30959, 15 January 1966, Page 13

BREZHNEV IN MONGOLIA

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) MOSCOW, January 13. The Soviet Communist Party leader (Mr Brezhnev) began talks in Mongolia today that are believed to centre on tightening defences against China.

Diplomatic sources in Moscow said the main purpose of the trip seemed to be to sig.i a revised military alliance. Mongolia, a Communist republic lying between Soviet Siberia and China, has been under Soviet protection under a 20-year treaty signed in February, 1946. It was written with Japan in mind as the potential enemy. In recent years, however, the only possible military threat to Mongolia has appeared to be China, according to the Mongolians and Russians. Mr Brezhnev arrived in Ulan Bator yesterday. His delegation includes the First Deputy Premier (Mr Kirill Mazurov) the Foreign Minister (Mr Gromyko) and Marshal Rodion Malinovsky, the Soviet Defence Minist-r.

Tass reported from Ulan Bator that the Mongols and Russians discussed “the further strengthening and development of friendly relations and all-round fraternal co-op-eration . . . and also pressing problems of the current international situation and of the world Communist and workers’ movements.” “Problems of the Communist movement” is the Soviet

-way of referring to the dispute with China. The Communist newspaper “Wen Wei Pao,” indicated today that China was keeping a strict watch on its border with Russia, Mongolia and other places. In a report on the work of Chinese public security units, the Chinese-language paper said: “From the Gobi desert and the greater Khingan mountains to the border of Kwangsi, Unnan and Tibet, People’s Liberation Army units are ready to defend the frontier.”