Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 4, 1990 TAG: 9006040277
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A/1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Bush's decision to sign the trade pact without winning concessions on Lithuania has drawn reproach from both parties.
Despite sharp differences remaining on the fate of the Baltics and on the military alignment of a reunified Germany, Bush and Gorbachev are heralding their summit gains and predicting another 1990 session to nail down arms treaties that eluded them this time.
They ended their second summit on Sunday, speaking warmly of each other and proclaiming the meeting a big success. "Neither of us tried to cover over the differences," Bush said.
The president was to give a report on his sessions with Gorbachev to his Cabinet this morning. For his part, Gorbachev was spending his day in California before flying home.
Bush can expect accolades from his Cabinet, but a frosty reaction was in store for him from Capitol Hill on the trade agreement.
However, Bush has said he will only send the measure to Congress if the Supreme Soviet passes a liberalized emigration law.
And a gesture by Gorbachev in easing up on Lithuania - in exchange for the prize of the trade treaty - could quickly turn the situation around in Congress.
Both leaders voiced hope that they can meet again before the end of the year - Gorbachev invited Bush to Moscow - to sign treaties to cut long-range nuclear missiles and trim conventional forces in Europe.
Bush and Gorbachev also talked about having regular, perhaps annual, meetings without the usual summit fanfare of 21-gun salutes, state dinners and military bands.
Bush said, "We're now at a stage in the U.S.-Soviet relationship and, indeed, in world history where we should miss no opportunity to complete the extraordinary tasks before us."
Gorbachev said of his summit host, "This is the kind of person to do business with."
The two leaders made significant progress on the nuclear pact, signing a framework agreement to cut arsenals by 30 percent and pledging to sign the completed Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty by year's end.
"This is the first time that we're not just limiting, but we will be reducing the most devastating means of warfare," Gorbachev said.
But deep divisions remained between them on levels of troops and tanks in Europe, a dispute directly related to another disagreement over the future political and military face of a unified Germany.
"We could not resolve this issue in Washington," Gorbachev declared simply.
Secretary of State James Baker and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze were assigned to work together in an effort to narrow the differences.
The two ministers will discuss Germany on Tuesday at a previously scheduled conference on human rights in Copenhagen, then again later this month in Berlin.
Other disputes also loomed - in particular, the continuing stalemate over Lithuania and the other rebellious Baltic republics. Bush called the Baltic standoff "one of the thorns in the side of an overall relationship."
For his part, Gorbachev - who gave no ground on Lithuania at the Washington talks - brushed off the topic. He repeated a favorite recent line - that Bush would have restored constitutional order "within 24 hours" had a state in the United States declared independence as did Lithuania.
Lack of major progress on the Baltic stalemate is building substantial congressional opposition to the trade pact, and Bush conceded that Gorbachev had given him no assurances that Moscow was any closer to lifting its economic embargo against Lithuania.
by CNB