§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the European-Central American summit which he attended in Costa Rica in September; and if he will identify any points of disagreement between the British and the other European delegations which came to light during the summit.
§ Mr. RentonThe meeting of 21 European and Latin American states in San Jose on 28 and 29 September was regarded by all participants as a successful conference with a positive and constructive outcome. It underlined Britain's and Europe's support for the efforts being made to establish and strengthen the foundations of democracy and better respect for human rights in Central America, and in particular for the conclusion of a regional agreement on the lines of the draft Act of Contadora which would provide effectively for a peaceful and negotiated solution to the region's problems. The detailed conclusions of the meeting were announced in the final joint communiqué.
The part played by the European Community marked a further stage in the development of its capacity for collective political action. The United Kingdom and her partners were and continue to be in close agreement on the Community's approach.