§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he made to the visit of Mr. Lennart Meri, Foreign Secretary of Estonia; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggMr. right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I held separate talks with Mr. Meri on 5 and 6 November. We emphasised that we had never recognised de jure the incorporation of the Baltic States into the USSR and that256W we continued to support the right of the Estonian people to decide their own future. As we told Mr. Meri, we believe that a negotiated outcome would be in the interests of both sides and hope that serious negotiations between Soviet and Baltic representatives will be resumed urgently. We agreed on the importance of developing and strengthening contacts between Britain and the Baltic states.