An Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev

Candid views about U.S.-Soviet relations and his goals for his people

  • Share
  • Read Later

(8 of 18)

As for the Soviet Union, it uses the achievements of foreign science and technology in a much more modest way. Those selling the idea of the U.S.S.R. allegedly being consumed with thirst for U.S. technology forget who they are dealing with and what the Soviet Union is today. Having won technological independence after the Revolution, it has long been enjoying the status of a great scientific and technological power. This enabled us to blaze the trail in space and to undertake space research on a large scale, to acquire a reliable defense potential and to successfully develop the country's productive forces. Incidentally, how are we to understand the following inconsistency in the U.S. reasoning? To substantiate increased military spending, all they do in the U.S. is talk about the fantastic achievements of the U.S.S.R. in the field of technology. When, on the other hand, they need an excuse for prohibitive measures, they portray us as a backward country of yokels, with which to trade and to cooperate would mean undermining one's own "national security." So where is the truth? What is one to believe?

We speak openly about our dissatisfaction with the scientific and technological level of this or that type of product. Yet we are counting on accelerating scientific and technological progress not through "a transfer of technology" from the U.S. to the U.S.S.R., but through "transfusions" of the most advanced ideas, discoveries and innovations from Soviet science to Soviet industry and agriculture, through more effective use of our own scientific and technological potential. That is the thrust of our plans and programs. At the same time, we would naturally not like to forgo those additional advantages that are provided by reciprocal scientific and technological cooperation with other countries, including the U.S.

The '70s have seen fairly broad development of such cooperation in the energy field, including nuclear power, in chemistry, space research, cardiology and other fields. The benefit was mutual, and U.S. scientists are well aware of it. This cooperation has by now come to naught. We regret it, but let me assure you that we will survive because we have first-class science of our own and because the U.S. is far from having a monopoly on scientific ; and technological achievements.

By the way, the U.S., being aware of this, is trying to apply growing pressure on its allies so that they too should not trade with us in science- intensive products. What is more, the U.S., under the very same "national security" pretext, places a ban on deliveries of some types of such products to Western Europe and ever more frequently denies access to U.S. laboratories and scientific symposiums to representatives of Western Europe.

Yet I would not wish to end (these written answers) on a negative note. I should like to convey to the readers of your magazine wishes of good endeavor, happiness and a peaceful future. On behalf of the Soviet leadership and the Soviet people, I would like once again to tell all Americans the most important thing they should know: war will not come from the Soviet Union. We will never start war.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18