After the end of the Revolutions of 1989 , Gorbachev and President Bush Sr. met on the neutral island of Malta to discuss the events of the year , the withdrawal of the Soviet military from Eastern Europe , and the future course of their relationship . After their discussions , the two leaders publicly announced they would work together for German reunification , the normalization of relations , the resolution of Third World conflicts , and the promotion of peace and democracy ( referred to by President Bush as a " New World Order " . ) Between the Malta Summit and the Dissolution of the Soviet Union negotiations on several arms control agreements began , resulting in agreements such as START I and the Chemical Weapons Convention . Additionally , the United States , still believing the Soviet Union would continue to exist in the long term , began to take steps to create a positive long-term relationship
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Malta Summit
Cold War (1985–1991)