White House Diaries

Thursday, May 2, 1985

View the President's Schedule

The day started with a working breakfast with all our staff then at 9:35 Nancy joined us. We helicoptered into Bonn and motored to Villa Hammerschmidt—home of Pres. Von Weizsaecker. Met by him & his wife plus a greeting party of our embassy people & German officials. It was a formal ceremony (the Presidents functions are largely ceremonial). He & I inspected the troops etc. A photo opp. for the press then Nancy left us for her trip to Rome—an audience with the Pope & a schedule that will keep her away til May 4.

The Pres. & I (plus staffs) had a half hour meeting then we were off to the Fed. Chancellery to meet Chancellor Helmut Kohl. He & I had a 45 min. private meeting. I assured him I was not upset by the press furor over my scheduled wreath laying at Bitberg mil. cemetery. He said I had won the heart of Germany by standing firm on this.

We went into a plenary session & got into discussions about the Summit for another 45 min’s. Then on to our Deputy Chief of Missions residence (they are a very nice couple). We had a working lunch preparing for my one on one visits. At 2:15 P.M. Nakasone (Japan) arrived. We had a half hour meeting discussing mainly trade matters. He’s supportive of our desire to have a general round of trade talks in early ’86 to head off “protectionism.”

Next visitor was Pres. Mitterrand of France. He’s still pressing for a formal monetary conference to deal with exchange rates etc. We’ve had our ministers & a task force discussing & studying financial matters for 2 yrs. since the Williamsburg summit. Their report is due in June. I proposed that we wait for that report & then see what further is needed. He’s not satisfied with that and wants to tie a monetary meeting to any trade talks. I briefed him also on our Strategic Defense Initiative (S.D.I.) and sensed a reluctance on his part as to any participation in this.

Then it was back to Schloss Gymnich where I had a meeting with our solid ally Margaret Thatcher. This was a half hour—mainly spent in discussing the upcoming meeting.

Back to the helicopter and off to Schloss Augustusberg to meet Helmut—attend a reception—which was jammed—no reception line just mix & mingle.

Back in a motorcade & off to Schloss Falkenlust for the Summit dinner meeting. During the course of dinner I told them how successful Nancys anti drug session with 17 other 1st ladies had been & by the time I finished they picked up on it & we voted to move together on a program of cooperation in dealing with the drug problem. Then it was back to Schloss Gymnich for the night.