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DSR 11C
East/West Relations including defence/disarmament issues
The meeting offers a timely opportunity for the
Prime Minister to put over to the President her views
on the conduct of East/West relations in the longer
term.
The President will probably want to focus on the
Korean airline tragedy. While the Prime Minister may
wish to draw some lessons from this and explain our
own strong support for the US and Korean position, she
may also wish to put the event in the context of an
isolated and suspicious Soviet government.
The Prime Minister may wish to emphasise the need
to keep open lines of communication both to the Soviet
leaders through dialogue and to the Soviet people through
radio broadcasts,, etc. Mrs Thatcher may also wish to
explain our aim of an economic relationship compatible
with our security interests which at the same time
exploit
permits us to explain opportunities on a mutually
advantageous basis.
Defence issues will be particularly important and
topical, The President will wish to discuss the tactics
for maintaining the cohesion of the Alliance during the
run-in to INF deployment and the public handling of the
sensitive issues involved. The Prime Minister will have an
opportunity to give advice on this and to reaffirm reaffirm
Britain's support for NATO's dual-track decision, At
the same time she would have a chance to remind the
President of the need for his Administration to be seen to
be genuine in its desire to reach arms control agreements,
and she might in this context, urge the President to