§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to draw to the attention of the Russian Government the applicability to the African continent of their pledge contained in the joint United Kingdom/USSR statement of 17th February 1975 to establish detente on a firm basis throughout the world.
§ Mr. LuardThe Soviet Government are in no doubt of our view that detente requires the exercise of restraint and responsibility in policies towards crisis areas, whether in Africa or anywhere else. The Government have consistently maintained, and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister emphasised in a speech as recently as 17th April, that detente is indivisible and that lack of restraint by outside powers in the third world will inevitably have an adverse effect on public confidence in detente within Europe.