§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on her talks with the United States Secretary of State on the security situation arising from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
§ The Prime MinisterI had talks with Mr. Vance on 22 February, and my right hon. and noble Friend saw him on the previous day. We covered a number of topics, including the crisis in South-West Asia created by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. We discussed measures which could be taken in response to the invasion, including assistance to our friends in the region. We also explained to Mr. Vance the thinking behind our initiative to seek a neutral and non-aligned status for Afghanistan.