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UK CONFIDENTIAL
SYSTEM II
91161
TEXT OF A MESSAGE DATED 7 NOVEMBER 1985
THE PRIME MINISTER, THE RIGHT HONORABLE
MRS MARGARET THATCHER MP, TO M S GORBACHEV,
SOVIET SECRETARY GENERAL
RR
Begins
Dear Mr Gorbachev
Thank you for your letter of 12 October. I agree with you entirely
about the vital importance of arms control. We rightly devoted a
substantial part of our conversations at Chequers last year to the
subject, in particular to ways to achieve security and stability at
lower levels of offensive weapons. We in Britain support the
negotiations on which you have embarked with the United States in
Geneva. I welcome the fact that both you and President Reagan have
tabled proposals for substantial reductions in nuclear weapons and
believe that there now exists a real basis for progress at your
meeting on 19/20 November. I hope you and the President will join
together there in giving clear instructions to the Geneva negotiators
to engage in detailed negotiations on these proposals.
I welcome your expression of the Soviet Union's readiness to continue
exchanges of view between our two countries on arms control matters.
As you say, it is important that European Governments should talk to
each other about the issues affecting the future of our Continent.
The British nuclear missile force is of course strategic in character.
It is also of the minimum size consistent with its requirements as a
deterrent force. Our position remains that, if Soviet and US strategic
arsenals were to be very substantially reduced and if no significant
changes had occurred in Soviet defensive capability, we would want to
review our position in the light of the reduced threat. Until that
time discussions could not take on the characteristics of a negotiation
about British forces. I note with satisfaction that this is not your
intention either.
DECLASSIFIED
NLRR M07-054#32016
UK CONFIDENTIAL
BY RW NARA DATE 9/14/10
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"ocrText": "UK CONFIDENTIAL\nSYSTEM II\n91161\nTEXT OF A MESSAGE DATED 7 NOVEMBER 1985\nTHE PRIME MINISTER, THE RIGHT HONORABLE\nMRS MARGARET THATCHER MP, TO M S GORBACHEV,\nSOVIET SECRETARY GENERAL\nRR\nBegins\nDear Mr Gorbachev\nThank you for your letter of 12 October. I agree with you entirely\nabout the vital importance of arms control. We rightly devoted a\nsubstantial part of our conversations at Chequers last year to the\nsubject, in particular to ways to achieve security and stability at\nlower levels of offensive weapons. We in Britain support the\nnegotiations on which you have embarked with the United States in\nGeneva. I welcome the fact that both you and President Reagan have\ntabled proposals for substantial reductions in nuclear weapons and\nbelieve that there now exists a real basis for progress at your\nmeeting on 19/20 November. I hope you and the President will join\ntogether there in giving clear instructions to the Geneva negotiators\nto engage in detailed negotiations on these proposals.\nI welcome your expression of the Soviet Union's readiness to continue\nexchanges of view between our two countries on arms control matters.\nAs you say, it is important that European Governments should talk to\neach other about the issues affecting the future of our Continent.\nThe British nuclear missile force is of course strategic in character.\nIt is also of the minimum size consistent with its requirements as a\ndeterrent force. Our position remains that, if Soviet and US strategic\narsenals were to be very substantially reduced and if no significant\nchanges had occurred in Soviet defensive capability, we would want to\nreview our position in the light of the reduced threat. Until that\ntime discussions could not take on the characteristics of a negotiation\nabout British forces. I note with satisfaction that this is not your\nintention either.\nDECLASSIFIED\nNLRR M07-054#32016\nUK CONFIDENTIAL\nBY RW NARA DATE 9/14/10"
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