Beyond the Summit: next steps in arms control

US Department of State Bulletin, Feb, 1988

We recently have seen greater Soviet willingness to discuss these matters in detail, and this has led to progress in some areas. For example, agreements reached over the last 2 years have greatly increased the opportunities for contact between U.S. and Soviet citizens. President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev have agreed that the effort to foster greater cooperation and contact on the basis of genuine mutual benefit should continue.

In two other areas--human rights and regional affairs--there remains a long way to go. We have recognized and welcomed recent Soviet human rights steps but have pointed out that human rights will remain a source of tension in East-West relations until the Soviet Union fully observes its international human rights obligations. Similarly, we have made clear that Soviet involvement in regional conflicts--whether directly, as in Afghanistan, or through support for such regimes as Vietnam or Nicaragua--inevitably will affect Western perceptions of the Soviet Union's ultimate intentions.

The United States is ready to address all the problems candidly and constructively. In the end, however, the Soviet Union must demonstrate that it is willing to deal with its own people and its neighbors through dialogue, not intimidation. The burden both sides will bear for the foreseeable future is to manage our competition peacefully and to build a more stable and constructive relationship.

Conclusion

Thus, we have a very full agenda in the days ahead. We have no intention of resting on our laurels; to the contrary, we want our success in INF to be the springboard for progress in other areas.

If we are to find further success, it will be because we will succeed in replicating the elements that led to the INF Treaty: strength, domestic coherence, and unity with our allies. With these assets, and with patience, we can take further steps down the road toward a safer and stabler world, with lower levels of offenses and increased reliance on effective defenses, should they prove feasible, and with a lessened risk of war. That is our ultimate goal.