§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent meetings with the Foreign Minister of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
§ Mrs. ChalkerOur talks with Mr. Shevardnadze were useful and businesslike. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary discussed with him a full range of East-West issues including arms control and regional questions. The Soviet Union were urged to resume the summit process with the United States. In the course of a wideranging discussion of current arms control and disarmament issues, the importance was stressed of reaching agreement in the conference on disarmament in Europe at Stockholm and urged support for a British initiative in Geneva proposing a way forward towards a global and verifiable ban on chemical weapons. We also urged the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan and pressed for progress in resolving human rights cases and cases of divided families. We signed agreements on long-term economic co-operation; on the prevention of incidents at sea; and on the settlement of the long standing question of pre-1939 claims. Both my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary have accepted invitations to visit the Soviet Union.