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Article: West Germany: Gorbachev's turn. (Mikhail Gorbachev)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- June 10, 1989
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1989 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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West Germany
Gorbachev's turn
PROUD but a bit bemused, West Germany is being courted with passion by both superpowers. Hard on a kiss-and-make-up visit to the Rhine by Mr George Bush after the NATO missiles compromise, Mr Gorbachev flies into Bonn on June 12th for his first trip to West Germany as Soviet leader. Can he upstage his American rival?
That will be harder than expected. Mr Bush first stunned West Germans with his bold new plan to cut conventional forces in Europe, then flattered them (and irritated Mrs Thatcher) with talk of a German-American "leadership partnership". True, his flattery may have been tactical--to help the shaky ...