ABSTRACT
The Soviet Union and the United States are making a deal on the Indian Ocean behind backs of the countries in that region. Twice this year they had talks, first in Moscow in June and then in Washington in September, and it is revealed that the two are going to have a third round of talks this month with Berne, Switzerland. The US formula for the December talks in Berne, as reported, is to "stabilize" the balance of naval strength of both parties in the Indian Ocean. This is part of the "package deal" the United States recently proposed to the Soviet Union. Soviet-U.S. contention for hegemony in Indian Ocean is of major strategic significance to their overall contention for world hegemony. The Soviet Union and the United States, both non-Indian Ocean countries, can never fool anyone; nor can they succeed in making shady deals on the Indian Ocean behind the backs of Third World countries in the region.
