§ Mr. Jeffrey Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the last meeting of the Council of Ministers.
§ Mr. JuddMy right hon. Friend and I attended the Foreign Affairs Council on 7th March. The Council discussed preparations for the next European Council on 7th-8th April and agreed in principle to recommend alternative dates in May-June 1979 from which the European Council could select the dates for the first direct elections to the European Assembly.
689WThe Council approved a supplementary mandate for negotiations with Cyprus on agricultural trade. I underlined the political importance of securing a successful outcome.
We reviewed progress in the continuing dialogue with the Japanese on trade and payments matters and agreed on the next steps. We also discussed certain aspects of the North/South dialogue, in particular the current considerations of developing country debt in the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board.
The Council heard progress reports on work by the Permanent Representatives and by the Commission on the Greek accession negotiations and the GATT multilateral trade negotiations and negotiations with third countries on trade in steel. There was a short discussion on the internal situation on steel and shipbuilding.
The Foreign Ministers also met in political co-operation to exchange views about African topics. There was some discussion of the Horn of Africa. My right hon. Friend gave his colleagues an account of the position reached in relation to Rhodesia, with particular reference to the debate in the Security Council at the United Nations; and the French and German Foreign Ministers gave accounts of their recent visits to African countries. The discussion served to establish a community of view among the Nine prior to my right hon. Friend's visit to Washington.