CAB128-94_A1b — Page 228

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THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that the attempts by the Czech government to form a government acceptable to the people had not so far succeeded. Prime Minister Adamec was a skilful politician but the government would undoubtedly have to accept further changes.

slovakia

FIDEN

CC(89)

North Atlantić Treaty

Organisation Heads of

Government Meeting on

4 December

THE PRIME MINISTER said that she had attended the meeting of the ATO Heads of Government in Brussels on 4 December at which the United States President, Mr George Bush, had given an account of

discussions with the Soviet President, Mr Mikhail Gorbachev, g their meetings in Malta on 2/3 December. There had been great surprises at Malta. President Gorbachev had raised the issue of including naval forces in arms control negotiations, but President Bush had rejected this proposal. The West had always refused to include naval forces in arms control negotiations because the seas remained the West's main highway. President Gorbachev had proposed that the Summit of nations involved the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSC) should be brought forward from 1992 to 1990. objective app on frontiers Conference, name

His

to be to secure confirmation of the position

T

er the Final Act of the Helsinki

that no country should violate existing

ange in borders could only be brought President Gorbachev would probably

borders and that any about by peaceful east also want to take credit for the Soviet Union's improved record on human rights. He also wish to propose another round of the negotiations on conventional force reductions in Europe (CFE) after the present res that a CSCE Summit in 1990 ou had proposed that there should mark the signature of a CFE agreement.

President Bush had made clear not be acceptable. Instead he a Summit in Vienna in 1990 to

Continuing, the PRIME MINISTER S that President Bush had been very impressed by President Gorbachev. He had discussed ways in which the United States could help the Soviet Union to implement economic and political reform. At the NATO meeting in Brussels, President Bush had made a formal speech, which had obviously been carefully drafted at the last moment had contained two surprises. First, he had spoken of United States support for further European integration. Second, he had expressed willingness to consider further cuts in conventional forces after the conclusion of a CFE agreement. The ps had seized pas had seized upon his remarks about European integration to set that they illustrated Britain's isolation. In fact, Prestbush had been urging that the Single Market should be completed in 1992. His main concern, which the British Government shares that the Single Market should not become 'Fortress Europe and that open trade policies should be adopted. President Bush

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