1.
LV EXT Congress Hall (2 shots)
0.05

2.
MV Flags flaying over building (2 shots)
0.11

3.
MV Kosygin rises and walks to rostrum
0.29

4.
MCU Members of audience applauding
0.35

5.
LV Kosygin walks to dias
0.48

6.
LV Kosygin speaking
0.56

7.
MV Members of audience listening
1.00

8.
MLV Kosygin speaking ZOOM to CU
1.15

9.
MCU Audience listening (3 shots)
1.31



Initials JKP:11.41/JKP:12.44



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Speaking on the sixth day of the Soviet Communist Party Congress last Tuesday (6 April), Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin launched a new five-year plan aimed at boosting the standard of living of the Soviet citizen, and declared Moscow's readiness to do more business with the United States and China.

The 1971-75 economic plan would be an important stage in the development of the country towards communism, he said. The plan would be based on more scientific and technical progress.

In his three-hour economic report, Mr Kosygin maintained the conciliatory tone towards the western countries first enunciated by party chief Leonid Brezhnev in his main report last week.

SYNOPSIS: For more than a week now, the Kremlin has been the meeting place for delegates of the Communist parties of more than 90 countries. Last Tuesday was the sixth day of the Congress. The highlight was the three-hour long speech by the Premier of the Soviet Union, Mr Alexei Kosygin. Mr Kosygin presented the new Five-year plan for the Soviet Union. it is this plan, long awaited by Communists both inside and outside the country, that could prove a vital step in the building of communism. The emphasis of other Plans has been on heavy goods and industry. The emphasis of the Plan for 1971-75 will be on increasing the standard of living of the population, based on greater efficiency in management and scientific and technical progress.

But Mr Kosygin also emphasised that heavy industry would remain the foundation of Soviet industry, and he warned that in the present international situation, defence and the defence industry would continue to receive constant attention. As if to emphasise this, he accused the United States of waging a "bandit war" in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. But he also declared that the Soviet Union was prepared to expand its trade with the United States ... and with China.

Mr Kosygin's references to the other two super powers echoed the words of Party Chief Leonid Brezhnev, who called for better relations with both during his report to the Congress last week. Mr Kosygin also described how Russia saw a European security conference leading to peaceful co-operation ... with co-operation resulting not only in military matters, but in commerce, and technical and scientific projects.