The World - News from Oct. 7, 1987

Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze held an unexpected meeting on a street in Montevideo, Uruguay, with about 200 people demonstrating on behalf of Soviet Jews seeking to emigrate. Shevardnadze, in Uruguay for a two-day state visit, had just finished talks with President Julio Sanguinetti when he noticed the demonstrators across from the Soviet Embassy. He crossed the street and asked to speak with the group. Local Jewish leader Pedro Scolovsky said Shevardnadze told him “there now is a political opening and that he hopes the problem (with Jews in the Soviet Union) can be solved.” The protest ended minutes later without incident.