HC Deb 06 December 1965 vol 722 cc28-9
51. Lord Balniel

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what proposals he has, following his visits to Poland, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, to improve relations with Eastern Europe.

Mr. M. Stewart

I regard these three visits and further exchanges of visits which will take place in the coming year as part of the process of developing exchanges of view with the East European leaders on international questions and bilateral questions. I believe that it is useful in itself that we should expose our views to each other and try to increase our understanding of each other's point of view. The process of enlarging the area of agreement on international problems is, of course, sometimes very slow. Progress on bilateral questions is often easier and our trade and our scientific and cultural contacts have been expanding in recent years.

Lord Balniel

As so many of the Eastern European countries, in order to improve the economic well-being of their people, are moving steadily towards Western economic systems, does not the right hon. Gentleman think that the time is psychologically right to follow up his visit by intensive and continuous visits to try to improve the economic as well as the political climates between our respective countries?

Mr. Stewart

I think that I shall be making further visits to Eastern Europe and we are expecting visits over here from their Ministers. This is a process which we want to continue.

Mr. Sydney Silverman

Does my right hon. Friend consider that it will assist the process of improving relations with Eastern Europe if he persists in carrying on the outdated and outmoded language of the cold war by making it known and putting it on record in the House that these countries are not free countries?

Mr. Stewart

I do not think the way to better understanding is to refrain from expressing our opinions. The view which I have always taken in these exchanges is that I expect those who talked to me to express their opinions perfectly clearly, and I do the same. Our opinions do not always agree but we possibly both go our way a little more aware of why the other thinks as he does, and that is part of the process of gradually improving understanding.