Gorbachev Cancels Meeting With Japanese Group, Blaming a Cold

MOSCOW — Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev was reported Saturday to be ill with a summer cold after a strenuous weeklong trip to Vladivostok and elsewhere in the Soviet Far East.

Japanese Communist Party officials said they were told by Soviet officials that Gorbachev could not meet with them this weekend because he had a cold.

Gorbachev sent the delegation a letter of apology for canceling the session, according to Japanese party spokesman Hiroshi Tachiki. A meeting Monday with Yegor K. Ligachev, believed to be the second-ranking Soviet leader, was arranged for the Japanese visitors instead.

It was not possible to confirm the report immediately.

The weather in Vladivostok was rainy and foggy during part of Gorbachev’s visit. A photograph published in Pravda on July 27 showed him standing in the rain without a coat or umbrella.

During his trip, Gorbachev spent a lot of time in open-air meetings with citizens in give-and-take conversations. Television pictures showed him apparently vigorous and healthy as he advocated harder work to fulfill production targets.

The Kremlin chief, who turned 55 last March, is known for his energetic style. At the 27th Communist Party Congress last winter, he spoke for a total of five hours on the opening day. He also made several lengthy speeches during his trip to the Far East.