Word: helsinki
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...best, the Helsinki negotiations could lead to an overcoming of the old hostilities and suspicions and the establishment of a new era of accommodation and mutual benefit between the two blocs in Europe. At worst, the talks could merely mask the fact that differences between East and West remain irreconcilable. The one sure thing is that for the first time since the alliance of the Western powers and the Soviet Union fell apart after World War II the nations of Europe are making a concerted effort to bring an end to the schism...
...invitation of the Finnish government, which offered to provide a "salon de thé," or congenial meeting place, the ambassadors and heads of missions in Helsinki are seeking to determine whether enough mutual interest exists to justify the convening, probably next spring, of the Conference on European Security and Cooperation (or C.E.S.C., as the diplomats call...
Participants have greatly varying notions of what is to be accomplished in Helsinki. The lineup...
...about détente, but in private they are extremely cautious. They realize that their neutrality would be endangered in a Europe that did not have U.S. power to offset Soviet military strength. "Do you know what MBFR stands for?" a Scandinavian diplomat asked TIME Correspondent David Tinnin in Helsinki last week. Before Tinnin could answer, the diplomat replied, "It means more benefits for the Russians...
Such signs are not encouraging, but it is still an open question whether a Communist regime can control the forces of liberalization at home once those forces have been allowed to grow. If nothing else, the Helsinki negotiations will test the most basic issues in European affairs today: Are the Soviet Union and its satellites ready for a true relaxation of tensions? Or do they still depend upon the existence of outside enemies to enlist the support of their own people? In short, is Europe ready for an outbreak of peace? The answer should emerge at Helsinki...