University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, February 13. 1990
Nation/World
7
Soviets call for neutral Germany
The Associated Press
WEST BERLIN — Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev told East German leaders that a reunited Germany could not belong to the NATO alliance, the East German news agency reported yesterday.
The Soviet leader's stand is strongly at odds with that of the United States and Western European nations, which oppose a neutral Germany with no ties to the Western military alliance.
East Germany, meanwhile, rejected a West German proposal to quickly merge the currencies of the two Germans. West Germany did approve the principle of a single currency.
West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, trying to speed the push toward reunification, had urged a quick monetary union to ease what he said was a critical economic crisis in East Germany.
Richelieu Economic Council
East German leaders yesterday asked the West Germans for financial aid of up to $9 billion, but West Germany rejected the request. Finance Minister Theo Waigel opposed sending aid until East German changes proved permanent.
About 70,000 East Germans turned out yesterday evening for the weekly pro-democracy rally in Berlin.
Gorbachev requires NATO withdrawal
Leipzig. Dozens carried West German flags.
"If the West German mark comes, we'll stay. If the West German mark doesn't show up, we'll go to join it," a banner stated.
join it," he blurted. "We have 340,000 East Germans moved to capitals, capitalist West Germany. They now stream West at the rate of 1,000 a day, making the economic chaos in East Germany even worse.
economic change.
That exodus helped topple the old hard-line East German government last year. The mass flight is fueling a growing reunification movement, upon which Kohl has capitalized.
which Kohl has capitulated.
The remnants of the Communist government in East Germany, however, have tried to slow the process.
pr600 Kohl and Hans Modrow, East Germany's Communist premier, were to meet in Bonn today. In Brussels, foreign ministers of the European Community said Kohl would make Modrow an official
They said Waigel mentioned the plan at a meeting of European Community ministers yesterday. No details were released.
offer of monetary union.
terday. No doubt, Kohl said he got approval for unification from Gorbachev during a weekend visit to Moscow, but the official East German agency ADN reported yesterday that the Soviet leader insisted a united Germany stay out of NATO.
The chancellor has said repeatedly that West Germany is firmly in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and has rejected neutrality for a single Germany.
The ADN dispatch gave no details about Gorbachev's position on the Western military alliance, but it reported that he acknowledged German unity could come more quickly than previously expected. ADN indicated Gorbachev initiated the conversation with Modrov.
In Washington, President Bush said, "We support Chancellor Kohl's position that a unified Germany should remain a member of NATO. Let me also express my appreciation of Chairman Gorbachev's statesmanlike view that decisions regarding German unity should be left to the people of Germany."
proposed for the president would make it more of a Western-style office.
POINDEXTER TRIAL DELAYED:
A federal judge yesterday delayed the start of John Poindexter's Iran-contra trial by two weeks but said former President Reagan's videotaped testimony would be taken Friday as scheduled.
Tass said the presidium of the Supreme Soviet, the country's highest executive body, "unanimously favored the establishment of democratic presidential power in our country."
Nation/World briefs
The statement did not say whether the president would be directly elected by voters, but one of Gorbachev's key allies on the Communist Party Politburo said last week that a nationwide popular election might be possible.
U. S. District Court Judge Harold Greene said disagreement about the use of about 150 classified documents and other matters would require delaying Poindexter's trial from Feb. 20 to May 6.
The judge rejected a proposal by Reagan's lawyers to have the deposition taken at the former president's Los Angeles offices, saying those offices would not provide enough space.
ter's trial from Feb. 2, a
Richard Beckler, a lawyer for
the former national security
adviser, urged that Reagan not be
questioned until Iran-contra pro-
secutors completed their case.
One reason for having the questioning on videotape is that if Reagan inadvertently discloser classified information, that portion can be edited before being shown at the trial.
TRADE NEGOTIATIONS: Top U.S. and Soviet trade officials began negotiations yesterday to eliminate nearly a half-century of trade friction between the two superpowers by the time of the Bush-Gorbachev summit in June.
The first round of negotiations, which were scheduled to last
through today, were to be followed by two sessions in late February and early March.
The Associated Press
U. S. officials said they hoped that all the negotiations would be completed by the end of April to provide time to draft the final trade agreement so that it could be signed by President Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev at their June meeting in Washington.
Gorbachev's power to be strengthened
MOSCOW — Soviet leaders called yesterday for a special session of Congress to strengthen the office of president; a move that would solidify Mikhail S. Gorbachev's on power.
The administration hopes that more normal trade will boost the Soviet economy and provide economic support to the political reforms being undertaken by Gorbachev.
The trade treaty would be used to grant the Soviet Union "most favored nation status," qualifying it for the lowest tariffs granted to any country.
BOVIET RIOTS: Riots broke out in the capital of Dzhikistan during protests yesterday against the resettlement of ethnic Armenian refugees in the Soviet Asian republic, official sources said.
The development, coming on the heels of a landmark Communist Party meeting at which the party agreed to give up its constitutional monopoly on power, would strengthen the government and further erode the party apparatus that has ruled the country for 72 years.
he official sources say.
One report said there were deaths and dozens of injuries.
Gorbachev now holds the offices of party general secretary and of president. The new powers being
The official Tass news agency said a state of emergency and a nighttime curfew had been imposed on the city of Dushanbe to quell "mass disorders and pogroms, and acts of arson and looting."
"When I call Mom, she either wants to talk art or football. Usually football?"
Jacqueline Reinhard Arizona State University Class of 1991
Go ahead, call her up and let her know the score.
A 10-minute coast-to-coast call dialed direct anytime, any day with AT&T, costs less than $3.00.* And with fast connections and immediate credit for wrong numbers, how can you miss?
For more information on AT&T Long Distance Service, and products like the AT&T Card, call 1800 5257955, Ext. 100.
*Add applicable taxes and surcharges.
6
AT&T The right choice.
Permanent Hair Removal The Electrolysis Studio Free Consultations 15 East 7th 841-5796
Valentine's Day
McQueen jewelers
Valentine's Day
Fine Jewelry for the one you love.
McQueen
809 Massachusetts
open 9:30-5:30 m-sat.
thurs. until 8:00
PSA
MARSHALL CENTER
1
11