§ Q2. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Prime Minister what proposals he has for a meeting with Mr. Kosygin in the immediate future.
§ The Prime MinisterI have no such plans at present, Sir.
§ Mrs. ShortIs my right hon. Friend aware that, to most people in this country, the major problem which faces us is not whether to go into the Common Market but to get a settlement of the political issues which divide Europe, an agreement on the frontiers between the two Germanies and a security conference between East and West? This cannot be done without the Soviet Union. Does not he think that he should initiate discussions with Mr. Kosygin?
§ The Prime MinisterTwo of my right hon. Friends have visited Moscow in the past few weeks, and there was discussion between my right hon. Friend the Minister of Technology and Mr. Kosygin on the latter's suggestion about possible visits in the not too distant future.
I was able to discuss the question of a security conference with the Prime Minister of Finland last weekend in the light of the Finnish initiative, and we shall have an opportunity of discussing it further with the President of Finland during his State visit next week. I felt from my discussions in Sweden that some of the difficulties might be more capable of solution than I had previously thought.