KARACHI: A new cultural agreement between Russia and Pakistan will be signed in Rawalpindi on June 5. This was stated in Karachi last night by Mr S.K. Romonovsky, Chairman of the USSR State Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, on arrival here from Kathmandu for a four-day visit to Pakistan. He will sign the agreement for his country, while the Central Education Minister, Kazi Anwarul Haque, will sign for Pakistan.

The signing ceremony will take place in the President`s House, Rawalpindi. He [said] in an airport interview that during his meeting with the Central Education Minister he will also discuss ways of implementing the existing treaty for exchange of scientists and cultural delegations between USSR and Pakistan, signed by Foreign Minister Z.A. Bhutto during President Ayub`s State visit to the Soviet Union in early April. Negotiations for the signing of new agreement were held between him and Foreign Minister Mr Bhutto in Moscow early this year, Mr Romonovsky added. He expressed the hope that the conclusion of the new treaty would open new avenues of cultural cooperation between the two countries. Agencies [Meanwhile, as reported by agencies from Karachi], the State Bank authorities yesterday denied that old one-anna and two-anna pieces have ceased to be legal tender. `It remains legal currency till further notice,` they said. This clarification was prompted by the confusion created in the City by the refusal of some shopkeepers and bus conductors to accept the old coins.

Although the one-anna and two-anna pieces were gradually being withdrawn to affect an alldecimal currency system, no date has yet been ñxed to put a bar on the currency of these old coins, they said.