Word: berliner
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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WEST GERMAN PRESENCE IN WEST BERLIN...
...West Berlin could not maintain a decent standard of living without Bonn's assistance, which includes a direct annual subsidy of $500 million. As an other means of economic support, the West German government maintains 85 offices in the city, which employ 20,000 workers. Bundestag committees frequently meet there, as do caucuses of political parties. All that bothers the Soviets, who regard West Berlin as a separate political entity on East German soil. They do not object to West Berlin's cultural, economic and monetary ties to Bonn, but they insist that no West German political activity...
REPRESENTATION ABROAD. Presently, West Berliners carry West German passports and special West Berlin identity cards, but the city's trade contacts are handled by Bonn's embassies and consulates. The Soviet position reflects the view that West Berlin is "the third Germany." Consequently, Moscow insists that it should be allowed to establish a consulate general there, and implies that West Berlin should issue passports...
...impasse on West Berlin reduced the hopes for a relaxation of tensions in Central Europe. It also acts as a barrier to convening the Soviet-sponsored Conference on European Security that Moscow would like to hold as a means of gaining full Western acceptance of Eastern Europe's present borders, which were redrawn by the victorious Soviet army during World War II. The Western nations refuse to attend until there is a solution to West Berlin. Despite mounting frustration, neither side has shown any inclination to break off the talks...
...Berlin stalemate is a serious setback for Willy Brandt and his bold Ostpolitik, which aims at overcoming Europe's division by accepting present political realities. Unless the Soviets soften their attitude on Berlin soon, internal political pressures may prevent the Chancellor from gaining ratification of the treaties he signed last year with Warsaw and Moscow. Indeed, he may not even dare submit them to the Bundestag for approval. Should that happen, Brandt's hopeful initiatives for peaceful relations with his Communist neighbors would only have made matters worse. The Soviets have made it clear that Bonn...