§ 17. Mr. Soamesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of East-West relations.
§ Mr. RifkindWe continue to work, with our allies, for a better relationship between East and West. We look forward to discussions later this month with Mr.516W Gorbachev and to a visit next year by Mr. Gromyko. We welcome signs of a somewhat more forthcoming attitude on the part of the Soviet Union, and in particular the announcement that Mr. Gromyko and Mr. Shultz will meet in Geneva next month. Nevertheless, we recognise that progress on matters of substance is likely to be slow, and that to achieve results will require patience, persistence and realism.