CONGRESS BUILDING: CEAUSESCU SPEAKING: MAURER SPEAKING: AUDIENCE APPLAUDING. (SOF)




Initials KM/V/PW/BB



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE 10TH RUMANIAN COMMUNIST PARTY CONGRESS, WHICH WILL SET THE COUNTRY'S COURSE FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, OPENED IN BUCHAREST TODAY (6 AUGUST) WITH THE BULK OF THE WORLD COMMUNIST MOVEMENT REPRESENTED.

SIXTY-FIVE COMMUNIST PARTIES, INCLUDING 11 IN POWER IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES, SENT DELEGATIONS. THE CONGRESS WAS POSTPONED FOR THREE DAYS SO THAT COMMUNIST OFFICIALS WOULD NOT HAVE TO ARRIVE DURING PRESIDENT NIXON'S VISIT.

THE 1,950 DELEGATES AND SOME 450 GUESTS ATTENDING THE CONGRESS GREETED PRESIDENT NICOLAE CEAUSESCU WITH WARM AND PROLONGED APPLAUSE AS HE BEGAN PRESENTING HIS REPORT. LATER PRIME MINISTER ION MAURER ALSO GAVE A SHORT WELCOMING SPEECH.

THE SOVIET UNION'S DELEGATION WAS HEADED BY COMMUNIST PARTY SECRETARY KOSTANTIN KATUSHEV, THE LOWEST REPRESENTATIVE THE KREMLIN COULD SEND WITHOUT OPENLY SNUBBING THE RUMANIAN LEADERS. THERE WAS NO REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

THE CONGRESS, SCHEDULED TO LAST A WEEK, IS NOT EXPECTED TO BRING ANY MAJOR CHANGES IN RUMANIAN POLICY OR IN THE PARTY LEADERSHIP.