MOSCOW, Oct. 19, 1964 (UPI) -- The new Kremlin regime today moved toward patching up its grievances with Red China.
Leonid I. Brezhnev, the new Communist Party chief, declared that Kremlin policy would be to follow the path of peaceful coexistence and unity in the Communist world.
Joining him in honoring three Soviet cosmonauts, Premier Alexei Kosygin also pledged that Russia was "ready to make a practical start on disarmament." He declared that "outer space should not be used for military purposes."
"May the sixth ocean, the cosmic one, become an arena of international cooperation," Kosygin said.
In his first public speech since the ouster of Nikita Khrushchev as premier and party chief, Brezhnev promised that Russia's new leaders would strive to heal the split in the world's communist ranks.
Brezhnev said that the Soviet Communist Party "will strive for the consolidation of the unity of the great community of fraternal socialist countries on a fully equal footing."
This was the statement viewed by Western observers as being particularly important, a hint that Russia will lean closer to China.
The new Soviet boss rattled no rockets and made no threats against the West. Neither were there any slaps at Red China.
"The Soviet Communist Party," Brezhnev said, "will uphold the general line of the world's Communist movement and strive to rally all fraternal parties on the principled foundation of Marxism-Leninism."
"The Soviet Communist Party will actively pursue a line for the convocation of a meeting of the Marxist-Leninist parties of the whole world which must facilitate the attainment of these aims."
Taking Khrushchev's old place atop Lenin's tomb in a jammed Red Square rally, Brezhnev said: "Our main task...is the well being of the people. The party wants the Soviet people to live better from year to year."
Reliable sources said Khrushchev was in seclusion at a country home some distance from Moscow, perhaps watching the ceremony on television.
