European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 23, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes thursday february 23,1989 nato prepared to offer cuts in conventional forces Brussels Belgium a nato negotiators will offer to reduce some of the Alliance s conventional forces in Europe when they meet officials of the soviet led Warsaw pact in arms talks next month a . Official said tuesday. Stephen Ledogar the . Representative at the up coming arms negotiations said the proposal will be below but not too far below existing Levels for the Western Alliance. Ledogar speaking on a . Government satellite broadcast from Washington said nato was still working on its position for the talks on reducing conventional forces in Europe scheduled to begin Early next month in Vienna Austria. We will be approaching the problem by trying to reduce the asymmetries the disparities which. In almost All defense categories Are in favor of the East he said. We will not simply recommend that the East do allow the reduction but we for our part will offer to do some of the reduction too he said. Asked by a questioner about reports in West Ger Many that the West would offer a 5 percent Cut in conventional forces Ledogar replied while the percentage you mentioned is not firmly nailed Down it is. Within the  the Western Alliance contends the soviets and the rallies have built up a huge superiority in conventional or non nuclear forces in Europe. The 16 nato nations and the seven of the Warsaw act will take part in the negotiations which will cover the area from the Atlantic Ocean to the ural mountains in the soviet Union. Ledogar said the Western nations would like to focus the initial bargaining on reducing main Battle tanks artillery and armoured troop carriers to equal Levels. The Western approach he said will be to try to concentrate on those military equipment and Arma ments that give to one Side or the other the capability to. Launch a Surprise attack or sustained Large scale offensive  previous East West talks on reducing forces in Europe called the Mutual and balanced Force reductions negotiations ended Early this month after dragging on for More than 15 years without Resolution. The two sides could not agree on Mutual troop strength and methods to Monitor an eventual withdrawal. Ledogar declined to speculate on How Long the up coming talks might go on. Soviet israeli ministers foil to agree Cairo Egypt a the foreign ministers of the soviet Union and Israel met wednesday for 2 /2 hours but failed to Bridge differences on How to peacefully resolve the Middle East crisis. Eduard Shevardnadze and his israeli counterpart Moshe Arens met at the soviet embassy overlooking the Nile River and agreed to discuss their difference further at a later Date. They did t say where or when. Shevardnadze on a 10-Day Middle East tour told re porters tuesday he would try to persuade Israel to enter negotiations with the Palestine liberation organization which the jewish state considers a terrorist group. The soviet Union severed ties with Israel after the1967 Arab israeli War and has been a major Arab sup Porter. Tentative soviet israeli contacts began Only recently and both ministers appeared to regret the Long break in communication. The worst thing is not to have a dialogue Shevardnadze said. Arens referred to the Long dry spell 20 years of not talking  our conclusion is that we want to meet some More Arens said. We have to extend contacts. We have to find ways to present our views. I think we Are creating a basis for understanding possibly for  wednesday s talks with Arens however brought no breakthrough for Shevardnadze to convey to the Plo chairman Yasser Arafat at a meeting scheduled for wednesday night. We cannot say that we have come to a solution Ronall aspects but that was not our expectation. To expect that would be naive Shevardnadze said after meeting with Arens. Fundamentally we agreed to continue contacts atthe foreign ministers level and other Levels Shevardnadze added. Arens said Israel and the soviet Union Are in process of building a foundation of  he repeated Israel s position on the need for direct talks with Arab partners on peace. Israel made peace with Egypt Arens said. If Theresa of the Arab world followed Egypt s example and made direct contacts we will have  Egypt an Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979, the Only one be tween an Arab country and the jewish state. Shevardnadze said that soviet and israeli expert would meet in a few Days to discuss the issues in depth. World today Man reportedly killed trying to flee e. Berlin Hamburg West Germany a communist East German Border guards shot an killed a 22-year-old Man attempting to flee to West Berlin a newspaper reported tuesday. The mass circulation Bild Zeitung tabloid said the incident occurred on feb. 6. The newspaper said a companion was severely wounded when troops at the Berlin Wall opened fire on the pair. Bild said Border guards fired More than dozen shots at the men As they attempted to overcome barriers that Divide the City. Police said the witnesses observed Borde guards carrying a Man to a car and forcing an other Man near the Wall to stand up and accompany them at gunpoint. Reformer says Hungary must discuss false history Budapest Hungary a Imre Pozsga Yan outspoken reformer in the politburo has said Hungary must not shy away from discussing falsification of history even if it Means provoking dispute within the communist party unofficial newspaper reported wednesday. Pozsgay has set off a bitter debate within the party because of his Jan. 28 statement that the 1956 anti soviet revolt was a popular uprising rather than a counterrevolution. Pozsgay in an interview with the outlet weekly newspaper defended his remarks As producing a necessary catharsis across Hungary among people who share his View on the 1956 uprising. Customs workers protest backs up trucks in Italy Rome a italian customs workers re fused to work overtime for the second straight Day tuesday prompting lines of backed up trucks at Border Crossings officials said. The workers were protesting government de lays in reforming the customs service. They have refused to work More than their regular 8 . To2 . Schedule and have applied customs regu lations meticulously. In Costa near the French and Swiss Borders workers checked Only about 100 heavy vehicles through the Border compared to a daily average of More than 300, the Agency said. Union representatives said the Job action will last until saturday and they announced an All Day strike for feb. 27. Boat people accept risk will return to Vietnam Hong Kong a seven months after a hazardous escape by boat from Vietnam to Hong Kong be Van Den said tuesday he is ready to take another risk and return to his communist Home land. I miss my parents and family the 29-year-old told reporters who visited the Argyle Street holding Center where he and 79 other vietnamese Are awaiting repatriation. They Are expected to return to Viet Nam next month and will be the first group of boat people to go Home voluntarily from this British Colony which has More than 25,000 vietnamese languishing in Camps. Deng speaking through an interpreter said he was afraid of being imprisoned in Vietnam but would go Back anyway be cause he was homesick for his family. He decided he wanted to go Home month after his july 17 arrival in Hong Kong. Other vietnamese who plan to go Bacalso mentioned their families left behind. Dien Tan Sang 30, who fled to Hong Png with his wife and three children said he decided to return because my parents Are in Vietnam and there is no body to take care of  Dien who spoke As his 4-year-old so sat crying in his Lap said he did not know whether he would be punished women at a Hong Kong Camp smile tuesday at the Prospect of returning to Vietnam. When they returned. Asked if he is fright ened he slowly Shook his head and said i am not  both men said that they were from the vietnamese town of Quang Ninh and that they fled to Hong Kong about 500 Miles Northeast of Vietnam because others had done so. The trips typically Are made in Over crowded and rickety Craft. Reporters previously had not been Al Lowed to speak with the boat people who have agreed to return Home. Only 22 boat people voluntarily re turned to Vietnam from Hong Kong be tween 1979, when nearly 70,000 arrived and 1988. But a Tough new Hong Kong policy that no longer accepts All boat people As eligible for resettlement appears to have influenced some vietnamese to decide to return Home. The Argyle Center group was Issue travel documents by an official Hanoi delegation that visited the Colony this month. They were among the More than10,000 boat people who have arrived since the Hong Kong government introduced a policy in june under which Viet namese face forced repatriation unless they can prove they fled their Homeland because of persecution. Most boat people who have arrive since the new policy took effect won t be granted refugee status and those who Are eligible for resettlement might have to wait years before they Are accepted by another country. Hong Kong officials have said the Hope smooth repatriation of the first group will Lead other boat people to Volunteer to go Home. Vietnam and the United nation signed an agreement late last year on the voluntary return of boat people. Under it Hanoi agreed to treat returnees Well and the International organization is to provide them with assistance