Two Germany s’ heads to meet in first summit since 1971

Press, 6 December 1979, Page 9

Two Germany s’ heads to meet in first summit since 1971

NZPA-Reuter West Berlin The West German Chancellor (Mr Helmut Schmidt) said yesterday that he would meet the East German communist leader, Mr Erich Honecker, early next year for the first East-West German summit meeting since 1971. The Chancellor told a congress of West Germany’s ruling Social Democratic Party in West Berlin that he expected a new round of intensive efforts to strengthen East-West detente in the New Year and that the summit meeting would play an important role.

i West German officials saw - Mr Honecker's agreement to' )'the meeting as a signal that! i : the Soviet bloc would con-, -jtinue dialogue with the West: yinext year despite warnings!’ r that North Atlantic Treaty!; -! Organisation plans to update ■ its nuclear arsenal would l ' destroy the basis for dis-! - cussion. •’ s The Soviet Foreign Minisf ter (Mr Andrei Gromyko) ? said during a visit to Bonn; - last month that if N.A.T.O.' i voted at its December 12! e meeting to acquire and depl- - oy American Cruise and Per-j t siting 2 missiles, it would! “sharpen” the situation in •

Europe rather than improve n (the chances of detente. a i Bonn government officials ip .said the summit meeting c [would take place in East!!' Germany, but that a place' t and time had not yet been v (finally decided on. East Ger- v 'man Government spokesmen declined to comment on the t Chancellor’s announcement, it The first meeting between r [leaders of the two German ifc iStates took place in March,' 1970, when Chancellor Willy t (Brandt travelled to the Eastit German town of Erfurt to ■ [meet Premier Willi Stoph. 1 : The Chancellor’s arrival ' 'proved a serious embarrass- F

ment to the East German authorities, as thousands of people streamed into the centre of the town chanting his name and calling him to the window of the hotel where the summit talks were held. But it marked a breakthrough in Mr Brandt’s “ostpolitik,” his efforts to normalise ties with the Soviet bloc after 20 years of strain. The meeting led directly to the normalisation of ties between the two Germany’s in 1972 and paved the way for the first steps towards East-West detente in Europe.