Bush Meets Kohl, Cites Progress on Reunification

President Bush reported some progress with the Soviet Union over German reunification Friday, and met with West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl to again discuss the thorny issue.

Bush welcomed Kohl to the White House for a previously scheduled dinner amid movement on various fronts.

Ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, wrapping up a two-day meeting in Turnberry, Scotland, agreed Friday to expand talks to reduce military forces, and take other steps to ease Soviet fears over a united Germany in the Western alliance.

The United States and its NATO partners seek a unified Germany fully within the alliance. The Soviets seek a neutral Germany, but have also proposed joint German membership in NATO and the Warsaw Pact or a Germany in NATO but outside the alliance’s military command.

Earlier this week, at the direction of Bush and Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev, Secretary of State James A. Baker III and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze discussed the matter in Denmark.

Bush, speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday as he completed a two-day GOP campaign swing through Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska, said Baker returned with “a certain degree of optimism.”

But as to how much progress was made, the President said, “We’ll have to wait and see.”

Bush said the dinner meeting with Kohl, which followed a final campaign appearance in Omaha on behalf of underdog Senate candidate Hal Daub, “will be interesting in the wake of the Baker trip.”

Administration officials said the dinner, part of Kohl’s private trip to the United States, would also be an opportunity for Bush to report on his summit talks last week with Gorbachev.

In addition, Bush expected to hear Kohl’s report on how the German reunification process is proceeding, with a key economic pact between East and West Germany set to take hold July 2, and to discuss his meeting on Monday with East German Prime Minister Lothar de Maiziere.

“I don’t see any curve balls in it,” an official said of the session. Kohl and Bush have met frequently in recent months, including a session at the Camp David presidential retreat.