Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XI, START I

280. Memorandum From Secretary of State Shultz to President Reagan¹

Washington, March 10, 1988

SUBJECT

• Message from Gorbachev

Ambassador Dubinin came by Thursday² to deliver a letter from Shevardnadze, which incorporated Gorbachev’s response to the message you sent him from Brussels on START.³

I have attached the text of Gorbachev’s message, which seconds your view that our primary objective should be to get a good START agreement. He expresses confidence that this can be accomplished by the time of your visit to Moscow, and indicates that the Soviet bureaucracy has recently been told, in effect, to “go for the gold.” This may explain the movement we have seen over the past week in Geneva.

I took the opportunity to ask Dubinin if he thought Shevardnadze would be bringing dates for the Moscow summit. He said he had no reason to believe there had been any change from what Shevardnadze had said publicly at the close of my February visit to Moscow—that he expected to set dates during his trip here this month.

Attachment

Message From Soviet Secretary General Gorbachev to President Reagan⁴

Moscow, undated

Text of Gorbachev Message⁵

The Soviet leadership have carefully examined your considerations concerning the conclusion of the START Treaty. We in Moscow share the hope that despite all the difficulties that are, as both of us are well aware, involved in its preparation, this new, important agreement will be concluded in the course of your visit to the U.S.S.R. We agree with you that above all we need a good agreement, that is, one that meets the interests of both sides and fully takes into account their security concerns, as well as the broader objectives of enhancing international stability. We are confident that, given the necessary political will on both sides, this task can be accomplished by the forthcoming Soviet—U.S. summit meeting.

Recently we held a special meeting in Moscow with our diplomatic and military representatives, at which they were given appropriate instructions.

We are convinced, Mr. President, that our two countries now have a realistic possibility to have your visit to Moscow marked by taking another major joint step toward reducing the risks of nuclear war.

1. Source: Reagan Library, Shultz Papers. Memorandum for the President (02/09/1988–03/10/1988). Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Parris; cleared by Ridgway.
2. March 10.
3. See Document 279.
4. Secret.
5. Conveyed in a letter form Foreign Minister Shevardnadze to Secretary Shultz, dated March 10, 1988, and delivered by Ambassador Dubinin to the Secretary on that date. [Footnote is in the original.]