Moscow. Sept 29
Mrs Indira Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, did not achieve a full identity of views with Soviet leaders during her talks here, it was indicated tonight. The problem of East Pakistan refugees and the Soviet naval presence in the Indian Ocean seemed to be the main areas of disagreement.

A joint communiqué issued after Mrs Gandhi's departure said the two countries' positions “showed a coincidence or proximity”. In the Soviet political vocabulary, this is a less than enthusiastic evaluation.

Though Mr Kosygin, the Soviet Prime Minister, strongly criticized Pakistan in a speech yesterday, the joint statement was rather vague on the question of the refugees. It called for measures to facilitate their return to East Pakistan, and said India and Russia would “maintain further contacts” over this question.

Mrs Gandhi was stated to have reiterated that “the area of the Indian Ocean must be a zone of peace”. The fact that the Soviet side was not specifically associated with this declaration suggests that there was some disagreement over the question of a Soviet naval presence in the Indian Otean, All the Russians said on this was that they were “ready to study the question and solve it with other powers on an equal basis”.

It was agreed to set up an intergovernmental commission on economic, scientific and technical cooperation. Mrs Gandhi invited Mr Brezhnev, the Soviet party leader, and Mr Kosygin to visit India.

It seems possible that Mrs Gandhi was disappointed by the Russian attitude over the refugee question; she may have wanted more aid than has been promised, and a tougher Soviet attitude towards Pakistan.
Leading article, page 15