Khorosho,' Said Brezhnev

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Jimmy Carter bounded exuberantly up a long staircase and burst into a gilded anteroom of Vienna's elaborate Hofburg Palace. But the long-awaited moment of encounter—Carter had been asking for it since he took office more than two years ago—had still not quite arrived. Five more minutes passed, and then Soviet Communist Party Chief Leonid Brezhnev shuffled slowly from an elevator into the room. He looked slightly ill at ease, his left hand in his coat pocket, his right hand clutching his spectacle case. The delay in meeting, said Carter, had been "too long." "Da," replied Brezhnev. Then the two most powerful men in the world walked side by side down a long red carpet to an ornate 16th century receiving room, where they chatted good-naturedly while sitting in the same silk-brocade chairs that were used by John Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev in 1961. When photographers shouted for handshakes, Brezhnev firmly grasped the American President's hand. They both smiled broadly at each other. "Was it a good beginning?" reporters asked. "Yes," Carter said, "it was very good."

On this amiable note began the Vienna summit of 1979, and Carter's spirits were still soaring when he left the palace. Nearly a thousand Austrians surged toward him, shouting "Jimmy! Jimmy!" Grinning happily, the President clambered onto the back bumper of his armored Cadillac limousine and waved jubilantly.

Next morning the two men got down to business in the baroque U.S. Embassy. Each gave a formal 35-min. presentation of his country's global views. After breaking for lunch, and a recuperative nap for the ailing Soviet leader, the two men met again at the U.S. Embassy for almost two hours of discussion on the subject that had brought them together in the first place, the SALT II treaty to restrict long-range weapons. The Americans were struck by Brezhnev's stamina during the talks. Said one top U.S. official: "He really seemed to be thoroughly in control, of both the situation and himself."

On Sunday Carter and Brezhnev met at the Soviet Embassy for more discussions, morning and afternoon, about arms and the international situation, including China, the Middle East and southern Africa. Again they spoke from prepared notes. In fact, the only scheduled opportunity for a prolonged private exchange between them was a 60-min. meeting, with only two interpreters present, on Monday morning.

With both leaders essentially sticking to the scripts that had been worked out in advance, the summit was not expected to alter basic policies. But every summit is a historic event, and this one included significant gains. Among them: >The signing of SALT II, in the gold and white Redoutensaal ballroom, committed both nations to important restrictions on their strategic nuclear forces. Carter and Brezhnev also opened the talks on SALT III, which are designed to bring major reductions in nuclear weapons.