The Moscow radio today broadcast an official communique announcing that the Soviet Union and Syria have agreed to sign an economic and technical cooperation agreement. The agreement covers an extensive area and advances the relationship developing between the two countries.
The Soviet Government also announced that a high Soviet delegation, including leading experts in various specialties, will visit Syria shortly. It is believed that the delegation will seek to advance Syria’s economic and military potentialities.
British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, in a letter yesterday to Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin, pointed out that recent Soviet actions in the Middle East cast doubt on Moscow’s expressed desire for peace in that area. Mr. Macmillan’s statement, which was a reply to a letter he received July 20 from the Soviet Premier, said:
“In regard to the Middle East, I note your statement that the sole consideration which guides the Soviet Union in its approach to the problems of the region is the desire to contribute toward insuring a lasting peace there. I welcome this declaration, but I must frankly say that the actions–especially the recent actions–of the Soviet Government have appeared in a somewhat different light. Nevertheless, the British Government is always ready to cooperate with other governments either through the United Nations or in other ways to promote peace and harmony in that area.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
