USSR reports an increase in its aid to third world

The Soviet Union denied Western claims that its aid to the third world was low, saying it contributed 1.3 percent of its GNP to help developing countries in 1980.

Soviet delegate Evgeny Makeyev told a United Nations meeting here that Moscow's aid rose to that level from 0.9 percent in 1976. These figures, which Soviet sources here said were announced for the first time, statistically would put third world aid from the Kremlin above the 0.7 percent GNP level the UN has set as a guideline for aid from the industrialized world.

But Mr. Makeyev did not break down the aid figure to indicate which countries received aid or whether military assistance was included in the total.