Geoff Robertson, BBC:
Prime Minister, back in the 1970s you were dubbed the ‘Iron Lady’ by the Soviet press and it's a phrase that's stuck. You've also been called ‘a cold war warrior’ and I wondered if that image was going to hamper you in any move towards rapprochement with the Eastern bloc?
Mrs. Thatcher
You make me sound impossibly difficult, but it's not really quite as bad as that. If you are head of a government of a very important country you really have two very important roles: first you must be prepared to argue the case for your system of government. For your system of freedom and justice, prepared to argue it strenuously wherever you go and that I do. But more than that if it matters a lot to you, you must be prepared to defend, it and never relax your vigil. Perhaps it's not surprising that I try to do both those things and that gave me the name of being an iron lady, I am very firm in my beliefs, I will always defend them but I believe passionately that we share the same planet with other people who have different systems. We really should try to co-operate in the interests of both our peoples.
Geoff Robertson, BBC:
Well, it's your first visit as Prime Minister to any Eastern bloc country and some people may ask, Prime Minister, why go to Hungary, why not go directly to Moscow?
Mrs. Thatcher
Well, (??) [in original: no British Prime Minister?] Minister has ever been to Hungary. Fourth [?further] I do not regard visiting Hungary and certain other countries as necessary stepping stones to Moscow. I haven't visited Moscow as Prime Minister but I have been to Moscow in the past and passed through Moscow when I was Prime Minister (??) [in original] on my way to the economic summit in 1979 and Mr. Kosygin was then Prime Minister and he very kindly came out to Moscow airport and we had a very long conversation over a very pleasant dinner.
Geoff Robertson, BBC:
But you do hope to visit other Eastern European countries and perhaps Russia eventually?
Mrs. Thatcher
Yes, indeed I do hope to visit other countries but I have no particular timetable, or schedule. I was invited to Hungary and last year the deputy Prime Minister of Hungary, Mr. Marjai came to visit Britain and we had a very wonderful talk in London and it was quite clear that he enjoyed his visit here and I very much want to go to Hungary. [end p1]
Geoff Robertson, BBC:
What are we going to see in Hungary, Prime Minister, are we going to see perhaps a more conciliatory approach to the East. What do you yourself hope to achieve towards rapprochement with the Communist bloc or with the East in general.
Mrs. Thatcher
Conciliation and rapprochement take two, you've both got to have the same idea at the same time, and I hope we have, because I think both sides, if I might put it that way—if you're talking about East and Western blocs, both sides have things in which they firmly believe, both sides determined to defend them, so both sides have to keep their self-respect but I think that many of us feel now that we would very much like to be able to defend our own way of life and keep our own security but at a very much lower level of weapons and their coming to (??) [in original] and when you have a better understanding then I think you have a better chance of achieving a reduction in armaments as well.
Geoff Robertson, BBC:
So will you be speaking in Hungary purely for Britain or will you be speaking in a sense for the West and for the democracies in general?
Mrs. Thatcher
I speak for Britain, I am of the West, I am a firm and true democrat but I go on this visit, on a bilateral visit, speaking for Britain as the first British Prime Minister to visit Hungary.