Here's Our Hat, What's Our Hurry?

By PAUL GRAY/

Soviet negotiators are coming around on the question of their waning role in Afghanistan. If anything, Moscow now seems as anxious as the U.S. to finalize a deal. An agreement has seemed imminent ever since last month's Bush- Gorbachev summit in Washington, and State Department officials believe it could come during the third Two-plus-Four conference in Paris next week. Moscow has sent a delegation to Washington to work out details of President Najibullah's future role, an acceptable election procedure and establishment of a vote-monitoring commission.

With reporting by DAVID ELLIS