§ Mr. SackvilleTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council on 22 March.
§ Mrs. ChalkerMy right hon. and learned Friend attended the Foreign Affairs Council and a subsequent meeting of European Community Foreign Ministers in Brussels on 22 March. Most of the meeting was devoted to political co-operation issues. In particular, there was a full discussion of the current Vienna negotiations of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe134W (CSCE). There was agreement on the importance of securing a balanced outcome to the Vienna meeting, ensuring progress in all aspects of the CSCE process. The NATO summit having established a sound framework for negotiation on conventional arms control, discussions concentrated on the issue of human rights, and it was agreed to instruct our delegations in Vienna to maintain firm pressure for substantial improvement in the performance of the Soviet Union and the countries of eastern Europe in this field. We shall be seeking significant new commitments, together with machinery to ensure the implementation of both new and old undertakings in the sphere of human rights. My right hon. and learned Friend emphasised that, for us, this was an indispensable part of the CSCE process.
A number of other current international issues, including South Africa, were also discussed.
The Council reviewed follow-up to the European Council in Brussels last month and considered the development of the Community's relations with Israel and Hungary.