279. Telegram From Secretary of State Shultz’s Delegation to the Embassy in Moscow1
Secto 05094. Subject: President’s Message on START.
1. You are requested to deliver the following message from the Secretary to Foreign Minister Shevardnadze.
2. The President and I have had an opportunity to review the progress we have made and are making in the START negotiations, and to assess the work that lies ahead of us if we are to complete our work by the time of the Moscow summit. The President told me that the recent Washington Post story2 reflects his view that, as you no doubt agree, what we want is a good treaty, not a fast treaty.
3. In the course of our conversation, the President asked that I request that you pass to General Secretary Gorbachev the following message from him:
Begin text of President’s message: I know you have been following the American press as it reports my thinking on the START negotiations. I want to be sure you understand fully that I hope we will be able to complete a treaty that serves both our interests by the time we meet in Moscow. Both of us understand, I am sure, and I have sought to convey publicly that we have a lot of work to do in a very short period of time. You should know that I have told our negotiators that we should press forward with great energy, not to get a fast treaty, but to get a good one. Assuming we can resolve the very real and [Page 1245] tough problems involved, including those of verification, we intend to “go for it”. That is what I have told our team. End text of President’s message.
4. As you see, this is the position the U.S. side took in Moscow and is taking in Geneva. I hope that, in the effort to make the necessary progress, we will hear soon from the Soviet side that you accept our proposal that we exchange now the information about our strategic forces that is necessary if we are to make real progress.
5. With warm regards. End message to Shevardnadze.
- Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, N/A. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Sent Priority for information to the Department of State. Shultz was in Brussels for the March 2–3 NATO Summit.↩
- Reference is to Gary Lee and Don Oberdorfer, “Modest Progress Reported in Shultz’s Talks in Moscow; Spring Summit Seen Still on Schedule,” Washington Post, February 23, 1988, p. A1.↩