§ Mr. Roperasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement following the European Community Political Co-operation meeting in Copenhagen.
§ Dr. OwenForeign Ministers of the Nine met in Copenhagen on 14th February at one of their regular Ministerial Meetings in Political Co-operation. On the CSCE we decided on the course which the Nine would follow in the concluding stages of the Belgrade meeting.
A brief exchange was held on recent developments in the Middle East, but the major part of the meeting was devoted to the problems of Africa, particularly Southern Africa. The Nine fully endorsed the initiative of the five Western Security Council members over Namibia and they maintained their support for Anglo-United States efforts to bring about a peaceful settlement in Rhodesia. The Nine also expressed their grave concern at the situation in the Horn of Africa and their support for OAU efforts to bring about a negotiated settlement. They recogniseed that the United Nations might be able to play a role in supporting those OAU efforts.