Office of the Historian

25. Notes of a Meeting1

Washington, March 18, 1987

The President’s Meeting with Secretary Shultz and Howard Baker

1. Moscow. Started meetings. Object is to bring things to you to settle. Want unified Admin. posture. Met with Wright.2 He will be there. We worked out schedules so not talking to same people at same time. I’m not comfortable w/his refusal to lay off legislating arms control before trip.

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2. INF. Continuing to work. Trying to see if anything in START and space that we could bring to you.

3. Armacost has finished. Will brief you on Friday.3

4. Focus on human rights in Moscow.

Before going consult w/human rights organizations & Jewish Community.

Will develop public diplomacy and private efforts before we go.

Our policy working; consistent but not shouting.

Want Sovs to comply w/Helsinki acts.

During mtg I would:

1) Acknowledge progress, but long way to go.

2) Want to have them make divided family cases routine. Want unconditional release of political prisoners.

3) Push for unrestricted emmigration.

Want to move HR discussion into new areas.

1) Jamming and communications.

2) More media appearances.

3) Access thru telephone & mail.

4) Religion. 1/3 prisoners are for religious reasons.

5) Reinforce commitment to regular forum for US-Sov. dialogue on human rights.

Bait to use.

Trade & Economics. Not linked, but mentioned in same breath.

Gob. pushing for openness. Open society will be necessary for them, & is consistent w/human rights. If treat people decently could unrestrict emmigration & people wouldn’t leave.

P. Sounds good.

Useful to know when agreeable to have Gob. visit here.

[Omitted here are discussions unrelated to the Soviet Union.]

  1. Source: Reagan Library, Carlucci Files, Secretary Shultz (03/13/87–04/15/87). No classification marking. Presumably drafted by Carlucci. The meeting took place in the White House Oval Office from 1:33 to 2:05 p.m. (Reagan Library, President’s Daily Diary) An unknown hand wrote in the upper right-hand corner: “EXCERPTS SENT TO APPROP STAFF MEMBERS 3/19.”↩
  2. Reference is to Speaker of the House of Representatives James “Jim” Wright.↩
  3. March 20. See footnote 1, Document 26.↩