Shevardnadze Due in U.S. Under Shadow of Lithuania
Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze will fly to Washington on Wednesday to try to keep Moscow’s war of nerves with Lithuania from damaging its improving ties with Washington.
Shevardnadze will meet Secretary of State James A. Baker III to prepare for a superpower summit in June.
His trip comes at a crucial point in the Lithuanian dispute--after Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev made what could be a final warning to the republic to retract its March 11 declaration of independence.
“Of course Shevardnadze would not want to bring this (Lithuania) up with Baker. The Soviet Union considers it an internal affair,” a Western diplomat in Moscow said. “But events could put it on their agenda.”
U.S. analysts said last week that a worsening of the situation in Lithuania could jeopardize the June summit meeting between Bush and Gorbachev.
Their foreign ministers are expected to try to clear obstacles in arms talks this week so the leaders can announce agreement in principle on a strategic arms reduction treaty and an agreement on conventional forces in Europe at the summit.
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