50 years ago: Progress at Brezhnev, Ford mini-summit on arms limitation
The host country President, Mr. Urho Kekkonen, officially opened the conference, the biggest gathering of world leaders in 160 years, acclaiming it 'a day of joy and hope for Europe.'
But with its final document — a non-binding set of principles — already agreed upon, the super summit served mainly to spur a feverish round of diplomatic activity.
Mr. Ford and Mr. Brezhnev met for two hours and 15 minutes in the first of their two scheduled mini-summits being watched closely by the 33 other European and North American leaders here. They are aware that only agreement between the two super powers can bring peace to this continent ravaged by war for centuries.
The U.S. President and Mr. Brezhnev met reporters at the U.S. Embassy where they conferred before going to Helsinki's Finlandia Hall to attend the opening of the Security Conference.
The Kremlin chief agreed with the U.S. President that the declaration of the European Security Conference, to be signed by 35 countries at an East-West summit here on Friday, would lead to greater stability in Europe.
He said: 'I want all the nations of Europe to live in peace with each other and not interfere in each other's domestic affairs.'
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