Word: shepilov
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...year ago, while he was still ostensibly editor of Pravda, hulking Dmitry Shepilov earned himself an overnight reputation as a diplomat by setting up Egypt's arms deal with the Communists. Accordingly, when Shepilov, now Soviet Foreign Minister, set out three weeks ago to revisit the scene of his original triumph, European chancelleries nervously braced themselves for further Soviet coups...
...even for a Soviet diplomat, success is apt to depend less on personal skill than on the international appeal of the policies he is obliged to follow. Right from the start of his Middle Eastern tour, Shepilov ran into one setback after another. In Cairo, Shepilov's indication that Russia was prepared to underwrite the entire cost of the High Dam at Aswan was received with polite evasiveness by his old friend Lieut. Colonel Nasser, who, up until now at least, has indicated a clear preference for having the U.S., Britain and the World Bank finance...
...Syria and Lebanon, the Soviet Foreign Minister found himself under heavy pressure to issue a statement flatly backing the Arabs against Israel, but for reasons of its own, Soviet Russia is not willing to go so far right now. Unable to do this, Shepilov tried to soothe his hosts with sweeping offers of economic aid. The Arab disappointed reaction was one familiar to Shepilov's Western counterparts. Said Lebanese Foreign Minister Selim Lahoud: "I wish I could say I am more satisfied than I really...
Greece, whose ties with its NATO allies have been badly strained by the conflict over Cyprus, should have offered Shepilov ideally troubled waters in which to fish. On the Cyprus issue, however, his hands were tied by Russian reluctance to offend Turkey. (The Montreux Convention, which gives the U.S.S.R. access to the Dardanelles, expires this year.) Otherwise, Shepilov had little to offer the Greeks except the conventional invitation to Moscow-an invitation which Greece's staunchly pro-American Premier Karamanlis was in no hurry to snap...
...while it mulls details and makes up its mind about Nasser's intentions in the Middle East. In August, Nasser will go to Moscow on a state visit. If by then the U.S. and Britain have not settled with him, they may find that Nasser has picked up Shepilov's offer instead...