European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 23, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Norwegian Border soldiers use Cross country skis to patrol the territorial line Between that country and Russia. Cool but cordial patrols along the norwegian soviet Border a photo by Erland Lyngved United press International in the silence of a Frozen landscape patrols of two armies ski toward each other at the Only order shared by a european nato country an the soviet Union. Five norwegian soldiers in camouflage White ski in silent single file across a Lake along a Row of branches stuck into the Snow. On the opposite Side of this improvised Border Marker a similar group of soviet soldiers approaches. They meet and Salute silently As they pass and disappear into the Polar night. The Border patrols have orders to Salute each other correctly As they pass to avoid episodes in this sensitive area says col. Inge Torhaug 59, the norwegian Border commissioner. Torhaug and his soviet counterpart it. Col. Vladimir Kirillov of the Kab Are responsible for All communication across the closed Border Between the northernmost norwegian province of Fin Mark and the soviet Union s Kola Peninsula. Over the last 20 years the soviets have established the world s largest military base Complex there. Western analysts say about 75 percent of the soviet strategic submarine Fleet operates from the Navy base at Murmansk 90 Miles from Birkenes guarded by some 30,000 soldiers. The huge soviet buildup has turned the 125-mile Border into a potential Flash Point of East West tension. The soviet Union is believed to have 3,000 soldiers based in the Border town of Pechenoga. By comparison Norway has Only 1,500 soldiers in the entire Border province As big As Denmark. With Only 170 of these soldiers along the Border Torhaug needs other methods to Deal with his soviet colleague. Torhaug and Kirillov meet once or twice a month to discuss crossing permits and other practical issues. Meetings alternate Between Torhaug s office in a Small wooden House near the Arctic mining town of Birkenes and Kirillov s office in the soviet Border Village of Boris Gleb. Soviet Border guards follow every move on the norwegian Side from a High Concrete observation Tower built on a treeless Hill some 500 Yards from Torhaug s office windows. The official parts of these meetings Are very formal Torhaug said in an interview. We meet at the Border Gate at 10 or 11 in the morning inspect a military Honor guard and sit Down to business. The official proceedings Are completed by noon. Then we move into the room next door to have lunch together and the formal atmosphere vanishes Torhaug said. We sit at the table for hours and talk to each other on Christian name terms about theater Ballet or literature just about any subject imaginable except big Power politics. It s like acting in a Chekhov  innumerable toasts in Vodka Are essential and the russians use big glasses Torhaug said. About Midway through our meal we tend to agree that relations Between Moscow and Washington have very Little to do with How we go about our business in our part of the world. Toward the end we tend to conclude that relations Between Moscow and Oslo Aren t so very important  lunch usually Breaks up at 6 or 7 . Then we become very formal again Torhaug says. We file past the Honor guard to the Best of our ability and drive our separate  the Border commissioners also entertain each other with shooting or ice fishing contests with medals and prizes for the winners. Cartoon movies help overcome the language Barrier. The Pink Panther is a particularly popular element in norwegian soviet Border relations Torhaug said. Ail this frivolity and socializing is vital Torhaug said it is extremely important that we learn to know each other so As to avoid any misunderstandings in this enormously sensitive part of the  we do not understand each other because we come from two completely different societies. But we try to understand and it is a precondition for Good working relationship that you Are aware that your colleague on the other Side has a different Way of  Norway a founding member of nato bans Allied exercises from Fin Mark and no Allied aircraft is allowed within 187 Miles of the soviet Border. These unilateral restrictions aim at maintaining Low tension in this sensitive area a Basic principle of norwegian policy. Torhaug says the soviet attitude to Norway is determined by two Basic factors. In 1941, the German forces which occupied Norway launched an attack against the soviet Union from Fin Mark. That is something the soviets have never forgotten. Secondly the Kola base begins Only 6 Miles across the Border Torhaug said. The soviets total dependence on that base makes them very sensitive indeed in this area. That s Why our self imposed restrictions Are so  sunday March 23, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 13