
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 15, 1990                   TAG: 9003152167
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BONN, WEST GERMANY                                 LENGTH: Medium

POLAND TO BE INVITED TO UNIFICATION TALKS

The World War II victors and the two Germanys formally agreed Wednesday to invite Poland to their talks on German reunification when questions concerning that country's borders come up.

The decision was reached at the first formal meeting of the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain and France and the two German states on reunification.

The middle-level talks were part of the so-called "two-plus-four" meetings in which the six nations will examine the enormously complex difficulties involved in German unity.

Among those issues are the Soviet Union's insistence that a united Germany not be a NATO member, and the fear of some West European nations that their own interests might be overlooked.

Another is Poland's worry that a united Germany might try to claim land ceded to Poland after the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. The land comprises about one-third of present-day Poland.

Poland had demanded a seat on the unification talks, but until Tuesday West Germany opposed that idea.

West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl had angered the Poles with his previous reluctance to state unequivocally a united Germany would not seek to claim the Polish land. He has since said a united Germany must sign a treaty guaranteeing Poland's borders, but the Poles are still dissatisfied with his latest stand.

In the East German city of Leipzig, meanwhile, about 300,000 people attended a rally to cheer Kohl and his unification program.

Dieter Kastrup, head of the West German delegation at Wednesday's talks, said the officials decided Poland should be included during some parts of the two-plus-four discussions.

Kastrup said the officials held a "serious exchange of opinions" on the agenda for future meetings of the six nations, and that details of the talks would be kept confidential.

According to Kastrup, the nations decided to alternate the site of the talks between West Germany and East Germany, and that the next round would take place "directly" after East Germany's elections Sunday. No precise date was given.

by CNB