President Mikhail S. Gorbachev today described Lithuania's declaration of independence as ''alarming,'' but he gave no indication of what the Kremlin's next move would be. He said the decision on Sunday by the Lithuanian parliament should be examined by the Soviet national legislature, which convened today in a special session. But neither Mr. Gorbachev nor other other Soviet officials said whether Moscow would recognize the independence of Lithuania, which was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 after 22 years as a sovereign nation. ''The information coming from there is alarming,'' Mr. Gorbachev said. ''The decisions that are being taken affect the fundamental interests and destiny of the republic itself, of the people and of our entire state.''
Mr. Gorbachev has struggled over the last few months to persuade Lithuanian leaders to abandon their campaign for independence. The Soviet President's remarks, at the opening of the special session of the Congress of the People's Deputies, offered no indication of whether he would negotiate with Lithuanian leaders. Lithuania's resolution was the first issue raised by Mr. Gorbachev before the congress, which was hastily convened so that it could adopt a new law expanding the executive powers of the presidency. He said the congress should begin analyzing the implications of Lithuania's proclamation, which was approved by the Baltic republic's parliament in a 124-to-0 vote.
Source: New York Times
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