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Horst Teltschik diary

Cold War: Horst Teltschik diary (British account of MT talks with Gorbachev in Moscow) [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: 200
Themes: Defence (general), Foreign policy (USA), Foreign policy (USSR & successor states), Foreign policy (Western Europe - non-EU)

Monday, 11 June 1990

In late afternoon, the British Ambassador Christopher Mallaby informs me on behalf of Margaret Thatcher about her talks in Moscow on 8 June. The impression of the British delegation being that Gorbachev is master of the situation, Thatcher has promised him support for his reform policy. On the question of German NATO membership, Gorbachev has suggested that the alliances should grow together. Margaret Thatcher's explanation that the presence of American armed forces in Europe is also important for the future was not contradicted by him, though he pointed out that the USA and the Soviet Union must work together in Europe.

Gorbachev pins greats hopes on the forthcoming special NATO summit in London and has suggested working out a common declaration by the Warsaw Pact and NATO. He repeated his proposal that Germany have the same status as France within NATO. In response, Margaret Thatcher explained to the President that she could support no solution whereby Germany did not remain a full member of NATO. In her view, this conflict could be solved through progress in all areas at the CSCE, the two-plus-four talks, the Vienna negotiations, and in the framework of an agreement between the Warsaw Pact and NATO.