HC Deb 09 December 1969 vol 793 cc234-6
Q4. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about his discussions with Mr. Maurer, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Roumania.

The Prime Minister

I had cordial and constructive discussions with Mr. Maurer about East-West relations, in particular security in Europe, and the state of our bilateral relations in all major fields. I would refer my hon. Friend to the communiqué issued on 29th November, which is available in the Library.

Mrs. Short

I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. In addition to the problem of the security conference and the acceptance of post-war frontiers in which all of us are interested, would not my right hon. Friend agree that the Middle East is another area where the Roumanian Government could help us? They have managed to remain friends with both sides in this conflict, and are well placed to act as mediators. Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that he will maintain very friendly and close relations with the Roumanian Government on these two problems?

The Prime Minister

My hon. Friend will have seen in the communiqué the constructive references to a European security conference, on which it is possible that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary may, if he catches your eye, Mr. Speaker, have one or two words to address to the House. The Middle East did come up in discussion, though I would not have felt that the Roumanian Government were in a particularly decisive position to influence what is an extremely, as we all recognise, difficult situation. A good deal of our time was spent discussing trade, and my hon. Friend will be extremely gratified to know that there was a substantial increase in trade over the last five years between ourselves and Roumania.

Mr. Longden

In view of the success of the Roumanian visit, will the Prime Minister consider inviting the Prime Ministers of Bulgaria and Hungary to visit this country?

The Prime Minister

All these questions are matters for consideration. The hon. Gentleman will be aware of a fairly substantial series of Prime Ministerial visits immediately ahead of us, but certainly the names he has mentioned are those of countries with whom we would like discussions.

Mr. Crawshaw

Would not my right hon. Friend agree that the independent attitude of the Roumanian Government in difficult circumstances in the last few years deserves the respect of the House; and that while we ought to use every means possible to improve cultural and economic relations, on the long-term view it would be wrong to try to involve them politically with the West?

The Prime Minister

The answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question is "Yes, Sir". The answer to the second part is that we had very full discussions with them on all East-West problems. I think that these are matters that can be safely left to the wisdom and judgment of the Roumanian Government.

Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop

Did the Prime Minister explain to Mr. Maurer that it was the United Kingdom Government's policy to increase production of home- produced food and that we did not therefore need increased imports of temperate foodstuffs from Roumania?

The Prime Minister

That seems a rather churlish kind of supplementary question in respect of a guest whose visit, I am sure, all hon. Member's welcomed. We explained the difficulties in the importation of certain things that he would like to supply us—for example, butter: the whole world is trying to throw butter at us—and we have taken what I think is a strict and sensible line. But I certainly did not speak to him in the language of the hon. Gentleman.