Last week’s news contained several grim stories, including the wrath of Hurricane Hugo and a tragic school bus accident. But one piece of very good news last week was the announcement of plans for the first summit between President Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

Summits between the U.S. and the Soviet Union can do nothing but help the already improving relations between these two superpower nations.

Gorbachev has suggested an “open land” policy that would lift restrictions on U.S. and Soviet diplomatic trade representatives and journalists traveling in either country. Bush should support this policy, which would represent a firm step toward true glasnost in both countries. Bush and Gorbachev also might address policies on nuclear arms cutbacks and an agreement on “strategic stability” that would reduce the risk of war, according to one news report.

The men also might agree to exchange information on each country’s chemical weapons programs and allow the other country to inspect stockpiles and plants. Although this idea is good, Bush should exercise a modest amount of caution in this case.

The ideas exchanged and agreed upon next summer should be designed to help both the Americans and the Soviets—not give the countries more ammunition against each other.