§ 7. Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth 1506 Affairs what recent consultations he has had with other European Economic Community Foreign Ministers about the latest developments at the Belgrade review conference.
§ Dr. OwenI most recently discussed the situation at Belgrade with other EEC Foreign Ministers at our political co-operation meeting held in Copenhagen on 14th February.
§ Mr. BlakerIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a number of people in the Soviet Union have been held in prison for many months on trumped-up charges when in reality they have been imprisoned simply because they have attempted to monitor the performance of their own Government with regard to international agreements freely entered into? Will the EEC countries make it clear to the Soviet Union that if, after the end of the Belgrade conference, these people were to be put on a show trial, that would be a flagrant breach of the Soviet Union's international obligations?
§ Dr. OwenThe Soviet Government—both at the conference and by their knowledge of the positions taken by European countries—are under no illusion that, following the Belgrade conference, any action on their part which appears to run totally counter to the provisions of the Final Act will have a damaging effect on the whole of the CSCE process and the run-up to the planned conference in Madrid. There is no room at all for doubt in the Soviet Union.