American Foreign Service Association hosted a panel discussion marking the 25th Anniversary of the signing of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
The treaty was signed by President Reagan and Chairman Gorbachev during their summit meeting in Washington on December 8, 1987 and abolished an entire class of Soviet and American missiles in both West and East Europe.
Participants discussed the historical context and diplomacy involved in the INF Treaty negotiations as a major factor in the Cold War’s endgame, resulting in the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Panelists included: Amb. Richard Burt, former Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs; Amb. Jack Matlock, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Moscow at that time; Amb. Rozanne Ridgway, former Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs; and Ambassadors Richard Burt, Rozanne Ridgway and Jack Matlock, who were among the leading State Department officials who helped achieve the treaty.
Former NBC diplomatic correspondent Marvin Kalb moderated the discussion.