TNAG-1253-FCO40-1586-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 213

diverted to defence to other areas, and I hope they will come to see that under

the new leadership. For our part we will continue to try and in the meantime

while their military build-up continues and the Soviet military build-up does

continue, we shall see to it that between us we are strong enough to make an

attack against us absolutely unworthwhile.

Q:What are your views on the nuclear arms situation in Europe?

A:

What do you mean by that?

Q:

I mean establishing the Cruise missiles.

A: I can tell you exactly. I was there at the time when the people took

the decision, the NATO decision, which was a twin decision that we would deploy

but we would renew arms control talks and if these were successful we would

not deploy. That was the decision and stayed there. Now the proposal that was

put on behalf of the Alliance to the Soviet Union was the zero zero option as it is called, that is to say nintermediate

weapons on their side, no intermediate

weapons on our side. We got a no. We went on getting a no and in the end we

decided we had to take the no as something that they really meant and so

President Reagan then proposed an interim stage on the way to the zero option.

That is to say, a lower level of intermediate nuclear forces and so far from

the Russians we have got a no. But when we went from the zero option to the

intermediate proposal it followed automatically that there is going to be

deployment because we said if there are no weapons of that kind of the Russian

side then there will be no weapons here. If there are some weapons on the

Russians side there will be some weapons here so there's going to be a deploy-

ment and I just think it's terribly reprehensible that the Russians people

can't have a say, that they cannot involve themselves in the debate, like the

people of Sweden and like the people of Britain, talk about it all the time.

We are all horrified by nuclear weapons but what we have to do is realise that

we can't suddenly disinvent them. They are here, we have created them and so

far since the Second World War happily we have been able to have peace in

Europe and we have used the nuclear weapon as a deterrent but it would be

marvellous if we could agree with both sides to get rid of them. If we can't

agree then we must protect ourselves and protect the people who we represent,

be they Swedish people or British people.

Q:

We have peace women in Sweden, as you have here. Are the peace women

damaging Western interests during the present disarmament negotiations?

A:

I am not sure I would say 'damaging' interests. They are expressing,

in a very public way, a particular point of view and the fact that they do