Book Description

1982 WAS THE YEAR East-West economics became the smoldering focus of Atlantic relations. No other issue generated as much heat or as much trans-Atlantic diplomatic shuttling. 1983, in sharp contrast, has been largely devoid of conflict on this issue. Now, INF deployment and arms control have become the hinge of alliance politics. The Versailles economic summit of June 1982 was dominated by two subjects, U.S. interest rates and East-West trade. In May 1983 the Williamsburg summit communique devoted three sentences to East-West trade, and the press reports do not suggest much time was spent composing them. Has the explosiveness of East-West economics as an alliance problem been permanently defused? It might be argued that the storms of 1982 were associated with a unique conjuncture of events--the Polish crisis and the concluding phases of the gas pipeline deal. Yet, if this particular conjuncture was unique, the events were bound up with recurrent issues. So it was in the past and so it seems likely to be in the future.