§ Q9. Mr. Grahamasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his meeting with Mr. Gromyko.
§ Q12. Mr. Frank R. Whiteasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement following his meetings with Mr. Gromyko.
§ The Prime MinisterI had a useful meeting with the Soviet Foreign Minister during his visit to London as the Guest of Her Majesty's Government from 22nd to 25th March, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary had three full and constructive sessions of talks with him on both bilateral and international issues.
The objectives governing Her Majesty's Government's approach to the visit were to consolidate the substantial improvement in Anglo-Soviet relations which the summit meeting in Moscow in February last year inaugurated; and to establish the regular practice of high-level political contact which we see as essential to the development of understanding between the two countries.
In the discussion of bilateral matters, a good basis was established for building further on the progress which has been made during the last 12 months in fulfilling the agreements and understandings which I reached with the Soviet leaders in Moscow just over a year ago. Contacts and exchanges of all kinds have increased substantially and will continue to grow. The development of Anglo-Soviet trade is central to our improving relationship. For this reason, my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary and I were glad to receive Mr. Gromyko's 239W firm and unequivocal assurance that the whole of the £950 million credit provided for under the agreement which was signed as a result of our visit to Moscow is to be taken up by the Soviet authorities in the near future. This means that very substantial orders indeed are expected to be placed shortly with British industry.
Our talks with Mr. Gromyko naturally covered a wide range of international issues, including the situation in Southern Africa, the problems of the Middle East, current issues in the field of disarmament, and the Vienna negotiations on force reductions. Both we and, for the Soviet Government, Mr. Gromyko, reaffirmed the determination of both countries to put all the provisions of the CSCE Final Act into full effect. We naturally did not reach agreement on all points. But at the end of three days of substantial exchanges of view, both sides had a fuller and better understanding of each other's thinking. Such understanding is essential if misconception and miscalculation are to be avoided.
A joint communiqué was agreed and a copy is being placed in the Library of the House.