HC Deb 05 December 1961 vol 650 cc1133-5
Q3. Mr. A. Henderson

asked the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with President Kennedy with regard to the President's recent proposal for a non-aggression pact between the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and Warsaw Pact countries.

The Prime Minister

In the reports that I have seen of the interview that President Kennedy gave to the Editor of Izvestia the President said this: I think it would be helpful if N.A.T.O. and the Warsaw Pact engaged in a commitment to live in peace with each other. I certainly believe we should take every conceivable step to prevent surprise attack". Any discussions which I may have with President Kennedy would of course be confidential. But when we meet again later this month we shall continue our discussions about the international situation and, naturally, all the important current problems will be covered.

Mr. Henderson

Would not the Prime Minister agree that the signing of a non-aggression pact between the N.A.T.O. Powers and the Warsaw Pact Powers would be a useful contribution to the reduction of East-West tension and the building up of European security? May we take it that Her Majesty's Government will support this proposal by President Kennedy?

The Prime Minister

The signing of a pact is not in itself important, although it may be valuable. What is important, and I hope we shall work at it, is trying to get a negotiation on Berlin, then, gradually, the possibility of getting a settlement of wider questions and then, in the terms of the President's proposal, we might be in a position to get some sense of security into Europe.

Mr. H. Wilson

Is the Prime Minister aware that many of us feel—as I am sure he does himself—that the President's interview with Izvestia gave a very welcome leadership to the West and one that was long-awaited on this as well as on other issues? On this issue, would the Prime Minister, in advance of his meeting with the President, say that he agrees with and endorses the words used by President Kennedy in respect of an agreement between the two pact organisations?

The Prime Minister

President Kennedy carefully avoided the use of the word "pact" and I must remind the House—as I have been reminding myself by reading the history of the years immediately before the last war—that there were more pacts signed by everyone on every conceivable subject, from the Kellogg Pact onwards. What we want is a basis on which the President's proposals can become effective.

Mr. Wilson

That was interesting, but would be Prime Minister now answer the question whether he, in advance of his very important meeting with the President, agrees with the words used by President Kennedy on that occasion which, as he said, made no reference to the word "pact"? Does he agree with those words?

The Prime Minister

Yes, of course. President Kennedy said: … it would be helpful if N.A.T.O. and the Warsaw Pact engaged in a commitment to live in peace with each other. I am sure it is. He went on to say: I certainly believe we should take every conceivable step to prevent surprise attack. This is one of the essentials, and he continued: … if the relations between our countries can be normalised, there will be less military buildup on both sides; but we cannot now withdraw our troops from Europe, way back across the Atlantic Ocean, when you "— the Russians— merely withdraw your troops to the Soviet Union which is only a few hundred miles away. That is why we need some understanding of what the situation will be in Berlin, Europe and Germany. With all that, I think that all hon. Members would be in agreement.

Mr. Grimond

Would not the Prime Minister agree that the settlement of Berlin may itself depend on some wider settlement in Eastern Europe? When the President speaks of commitments and the Prime Minister speaks of finding a basis for peace, what can this mean except some form of agreement or pact covering the area?

The Prime Minister

I do not want to be drawn into a discussion of how we should now best approach what is a very difficult and may become a critical situation. Myself, I feel and hope that we shall soon be in a position to make a fruitful negotiation. Exactly its extent and how and where it should begin and end must be a matter first of agreement with the Western Powers, and then we can see how the negotiation can proceed.