CONFIDENTIAL
RECORD OF A MEETING BETWEEN THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER AND COMMONWEALTH HIGH COMMISSIONERS, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, 3 JULY 1970 AT 12 NOON.
Mr. Barber, after welcoming those present, said that he did not propose to go over the statement which he had made in Luxembourg on 30 June, or the statement which was made by M. Harmel on behalf of the Council of the Communities, since High Commissioners would have read what had been said. His statement had been a carefully considered one and quite deliberately set out to be realistic and businesslike, as M. Harmel's had been. Mr. Barber said that his statement referred to problems which were going to be particularly difficult to solve; these included the special problem of New Zealand; other Commonwealth problems including the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement, the whole question of Community financing, and agricultural problems.
2. Mr. Barber said that his statement appeared to have been well received by the Six in the sense that they were pleased that the statement had been realistic, and had got down to the basic problems. This meant that we hoped that the actual negotiations could get going at perhaps an earlier stage than they might otherwise have done.
3. Mr. Barber said that we intended to keep in tho closest touch about those matters which affected either the Commonwealth generally or particular Commonwealth countries. On his way back from Luxembourg he had stopped in Brussels where he had had a useful meeting with Commonwealth representatives to the Communities. In the course of this he had made the point that by virtue of the arrangements for consultation which had been made, no Commonwealth problem would go by default. This did not mean that every conceivable problem would be discussed in great detail with the Six: it must be for the United Kingdom to decide on the points which were raised in the negotiations and on the way in which they should be put. But the arrangements made for consultation should provide an opportunity to consider together all matters of Commonwealth interest.
4. Mr. Barber said that there would be another Ministerial meeting in Brussels on 21 July. This would be the first real meeting of the negotiations. It was envisaged that there should be two Ministerial meetings a quarter, and fortnightly meetings of officials. While we wanted to ensure that every problem was fully discussed, it was in the general interest that the proceedings should not drag
Mr. Barber said he did not know whether the
on.
CONFIDENTIAL
/negotiations