Page "Sinatra Doctrine" Paragraph 2

The phrase was coined on 25 October 1989 by Foreign Ministry spokesman Gennadi Gerasimov.

He appeared on the popular U. S. television program Good Morning America to discuss a speech made two days earlier by Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze.

The latter had said that the Soviets recognized the freedom of choice of all countries, specifically including the other Warsaw Pact states.

Gerasimov told the interviewer that, " We now have the Frank Sinatra doctrine.

He has a song, I Did It My Way.

So every country decides on its own which road to take.

" When asked whether this would include Moscow accepting the rejection of communist parties in the Soviet bloc.

He replied: " That's for sure … political structures must be decided by the people who live there.