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Background: In Moscow Feb 24 Visnews filmed a reception given at the floodlit British Embassy by Premier Harold Macmillan to Russian and other statesmen and diplomats including Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev, Mr. Mikoyan, Mr. Gromyko, Mr. Koslov and Mr. Kirichenko.

The British ambassador, Sir Patrick Reilly, led the way into the "White Room" with its chandeliers and gold-edged panelling and took Mr. Khruschev to a table laden with smoked salmon, caviare and other delicacies. There the Soviet Premier met members of the Diplomatic Corps in Moscow.

Mr. Macmillan who had to rest for 20 minutes in a study when he felt ill during the course of the reception had earlier held a serious conversation with Mr. Khrushchev which lasted for nearly half an hour.

After a bantering exchange between the Premiers, Mr. Selwyn Lloyd and Mr. Mikoyan, the Soviet Deputy Prime Minister gave the conversation a serious turn by asking what objections Mr. Lloyd had to the idea of parity in the numbers of delegates of both sides at an east-west meeting. When Mr. Lloyd parried the question he was asked by Mr. Khrushchev: "When and where did you ever solve any question?" A voice interjected "Cyprus" to which the Soviet Premier made no reply.

A topic widely discussed during the evening was Khrushchev's public election speech earlier the same day when he suggested that Britain and the Soviet Union should conclude a treaty of non-aggression and friendship for 20 or 50 years and said that he was ready for more trade. He declared that the western proposal for a four-Power Foreign Ministers' meeting to discuss Germany and Berlin was unacceptable. It was only likely to waste time. Mr. Kruschev also made a strong attack on the Shah and the Persian Government.