Shultz Says He’s Willing to Meet Ortega to Discuss Ties : He May See Nicaraguan on Friday
GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — Secretary of State George P. Shultz, toning down his rhetoric of recent days, said today he is “perfectly willing†to meet with Daniel Ortega to determine whether the Nicaraguan president’s new peace proposals enhance prospects for a negotiated settlement in Central America.
Shultz and Ortega are both attending the inauguration Friday in Montevideo of the new president of Uruguay, Julio Sanguinetti.
“We know Mr. Shultz will be in Uruguay. We are open to having a meeting with him at any moment,†Ortega said in Managua just before he and other Nicaraguan officials joined a Cuban delegation aboard a Cubana Airlines jet bound for Montevideo.
No Official Request
Speaking to reporters on the way here for talks with Ecuadorean officials, Shultz said he was aware of reports that Ortega wanted to meet with him but added that no official communication had been received from Nicaragua.
“If Mr. Ortega wants to have a meeting in Montevideo, and we can arrange it, which we are perfectly willing to do, then I’ll listen carefully to what he says,†Shultz said.
Ortega said Wednesday night that he was asking 100 Cuban military advisers to leave Nicaragua and was ordering an “indefinite moratorium†on the acquisition of new weapons systems.
In view of the “several thousand†Cuban military advisers in Nicaragua, withdrawal of 100 would be only a “token†gesture, Shultz said.
Open Mind Held
“But if the token is something that will lead to rather massive reductions, that’s something else again,†he added.
As for the weapons freeze, Shultz said there has been a “rather massive buildup of hardware†in Nicaragua “and it may well be that they’ve gotten what they needed. Anyway, if there is a cessation in the military buildup then that’s welcome.â€
On Wednesday, State Department officials indicated Shultz had no interest in meeting with Ortega. His change of heart apparently was caused by Ortega’s announcement, which the Nicaraguan described as a “unilateral initiative.â€
Shultz last met with Ortega in June. They agreed to open a diplomatic dialogue aimed at easing tensions, but the Reagan Administration suspended that process in January after 10 rounds of high-level discussion.
‘A Lot of Air’
In Washington today, the White House rebuffed Ortega’s proposals as “a lot of air†but said the fact he is “making noises down there†is due to the success of U.S. policies in Central America.
Presidential spokesman Larry Speakes said, “There does not seem to be much there. . . . This appears to be a change without substance.â€
In a scathing, sarcastic attack on Ortega’s “so-called peace initiative,†Speakes said there “appears to be declining support for the Sandinista government among the Nicaraguan people,†but he offered no concrete evidence other than the government’s latest offer.
“There’s nothing in his peace proposal, but he’s making noises down there,†Speakes said.
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