§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Lord Privy Seal if there are any obstacles to inviting all North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Foreign Ministers to participate when the Foreign ministers of the EEC meet in political co-operation.
Sir Ian GilmoorYes. Neither the membership nor the responsibilities of the two organisations is similar. The purpose of political co-operation is to co-ordinate the foreign policies of the Nine. It does not discuss defence issues. The main purpose of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation on the other hand is the collective defence of the 15 States comprising the Alliance and only eight of the Community's nine existing member States belong to it.