U.S. Resists Soviet Efforts to Transfer Bilateral Talks to Moscow

The U.S. Is resisting Soviet pressure to transfer current bilateral talks on the Mideast permanently from Washington to Moscow but might agree to hold “one round” in the Russian capital. State Department spokesman Robert J. McCloskey said there would be no permanent shift. The talks have been under way for several months between Joseph J. Sisco, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, and Anatoly F. Dobrynin, Soviet Ambassador to the U.S. Informed quarters said the U.S. does not insist that all of the talks be held here. But U.S. officials have pointed out that Israel would be out of touch with developments in Moscow because Russia severed diplomatic relations with her during the 1967 war. While the talks proceed here, the Israeli and Egyptian Embassies are kept informed of their progress.