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Horst Teltschik diary

Cold War: Horst Teltschik diary (MT at Houston G7 on need to introduce market economy into USSR) [translation]

Document type: Declassified documents
Source: Horst Teltschik, 329 Tage: Innenansichten der Einigung [329 Days: Inside Views of the Unification] , Siedler Publishing 1991
Editorial comments: Translated specially for www.margaretthatcher.org. Dr Teltschik was Helmut Kohl’s closest foreign policy adviser.
Importance ranking: Major
Word count: 144
Themes: Defence (general), Foreign policy (USA), Foreign policy (USSR & successor states), Foreign policy (Western Europe - non-EU)

Tuesday, 10 July 1990

At the World Economic Summit, the political declaration, trade questions and relations with the Soviet Union and eastern Europe stand on the agenda for the foreign and finance ministers and the sherpas alike.

Margaret Thatcher finds it understandable that Germany, in view of the unification processes, should supply extensive bilateral help to the USSR. However, the Federal Republic cannot be active alone. Everyone wishes Gorbachev to have success, but it is not possible for the West to solve the problems of a country of 280 million people from outside. That is only possible through help that promotes self-help, for which the market economy remains the condition. It would be a mistake not to demand its introduction by the Soviet Union. It does not at this time depend on a generally held plan, but rather on concrete decisions and measures, which must be exactly defined.