Inside Report (4)

While Secretary Haig and Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko plan for their Sept. 28 meeting, the Soviets may be tweaking the Reagan administration in Western Europe.

Moscow is reported to be on the verge of two important steps toward wrapping up its multibillion dollar gas pipeline deal with West Europe, a project opposed by the White House. The report, from Western commercial sources in Moscow and as yet not confirmed with Soviet officials, says agreement-in-principle has been reached on an engineering contract for compressor stations. An announcement could come within days. On the far pricier question of contracts for project equipment, the sources say Soviet officials would also like to move quickly, by the end of September if possible.

A deputy Soviet trade minister has been in West Germany since Sept. 20 in what these sources say are homestretch talks with West European companies bidding for supply contracts.m