§ Lord Jenkins of Putneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have read Mr. Gorbachev's speech of 8th May 1985 and what is their response to it.
§ Baroness YoungHer Majesty's Ambassador at Moscow was present at the Kremlin meeting marking the 40th Anniversary of VE Day when the speech in question was delivered. Its contents were reported, and noted by the Government. During a call by the Soviet Ambassador on my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the latter drew Mr. Popov's attention to a number of points in the speech which distorted the historical facts and misrepresented the present Western approach to relations with the Soviet Union.