Cairo-Moscow ties fray; Sadat favors an EC role

Soviet-Egyptian relations took a turn for the worse with reports that two Soviet officials had been arrested on espionage charges and that a third had been granted asylum in Egypt.

Soviet Embassy First Secretary Evgeni Blinov confirmed the arrest of one official but said he had no knowledge of the other reports.

Meanwhile, Egyptian President anwar al-Sadat has expressed firm support for a European Community (EC) peacemaking role in the Middle East, after talks with the British foreign secretary, Lord Carrington.