Interviewer
Prime Minister, Mr Gorbachev has invited The Queen to Moscow, what is your reaction to the invitation?
Prime Minister
We are all delighted and The Queen has accepted the invitation. It takes a little time to arrange these things because her programme is fixed, as you know, some time in advance because so many people naturally want her to go, but she has accepted.
Interviewer
And what is the significance, do you think, of the invitation? [end p1]
Prime Minister
I think it is highly significant. I think Mr Gorbachev is determined to introduce a wholly new element into the Soviet Union which puts much more emphasis on human rights, a rule of law and freedom of choice. And I think that this will bring the two countries closer together in philosophy.
Interviewer
Will you wait before approving such a visit until after the Human Rights Conference in Moscow in 1991 which will confirm this new approach?
Prime Minister
We shall have to look at all the demands and requests that have been agreed for The Queen to accept. Already some of the programme is fixed and we shall just have to look at it over the whole range.
Interviewer
What kind of further business can you do with Mr Gorbachev and have you done on this visit?
Prime Minister
It has been an extremely good visit. I feel very strongly that perestroika will succeed. He will go ahead with it and it will succeed. [end p2]
Somehow it just seems to have got through the first fundamental barriers and of course the recent political elections were a great boost for him.
We have agreed certain things between us as far as protection investment is concerned, that should open the way for British people to invest in the Soviet Union. We cooperate, and will continue cooperation, on international affairs. It was useful to talk to him for example about Namibia, that particular agreement, and we shall I think cooperate more closely in future on a bilateral basis but as both being Permanent Members of the Security Council. That would be good worldwide.
Interviewer
Mr Gorbachev is offering this vision of a nuclear-free world. Why do you not accept that?
Prime Minister
Because conventional weapons, as we know to our cost this century, the possession of conventional weapons has not prevented two world wars. The last one, with masses of conventional weapons on both sides, a war started, and the race was on as to who got the nuclear weapon first. I tremble to think what would have happened had it been the Nazi German forces. [end p3]
Interviewer
You are not suggesting that the Soviet intentions are ill. Are not intentions important here?
Prime Minister
You do not make your defence rely on intentions. The only thing to stay absolutely sure and secure is to have sufficient conventional and nuclear forces because the fact is that nuclear weapons have kept the peace for forty years and the peace is very very important for progress.
Interviewer
How significant is the statement by him today that he is going to end the production of weapon-grade plutonium?
Prime Minister
Mikhail GorbachevHe is not going to replace two units that have been taken out of commission. I think that he already will have a reasonably good stockpile of weapons grade plutonium. Moreover, they are now dismantling the SS20s in pursuit of the intermediate agreement we have already signed. That nuclear material obviously will be taken out, and I assume stockpiles.
So I do not think, in practice, it will have a great deal of effect for a very long time to come. [end p4]
Interviewer
So that perhaps was a bit misleading of him to have …
Prime Minister
No I do not think it was misleading of him. It was something which he is doing, and he pointed out he is doing, but I do not think that it will have any great significance for quite a long time.
And of course he has a lot of nuclear power stations, as indeed we have. You make a special grade military material but I think you will find there is a sufficiency.
Interviewer
Finally, did you accept the explanation the Soviets offered of the sale of these planes to Libya?
Prime Minister
We are very concerned about the planes to Libya, they are attack light bombers, attack planes. Of course we are concerned because Libya has supported state terrorism and therefore we take exception to the sale of these planes and made our views clear.