CONFIDENTIAL
CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TEL NUMBER 65
P.A. Now fle HK /EEC
please 1/19/1/1/0
TO NEW DELHI DATE 16 JANUA
(C.S.D.)
1970
CONFIDENTIAL.
ADDRESSED TO DELHI TELEGRAM NO 65 OF 16 JANUARY REPEATED FOR
INFORMATION TO OTHER COMMONWEALTH POSTS.
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 118 (NOT TO ALL).
NEXT COMMONWEALTH PRIME MINISTERS' MEETING,
A.P. REPORT FROM LONDON DATED 14 JANUARY SAYS THAT THE PRIME MINISTER HAS CALLED FOR A CONFERENCE OF COMMONWEALTH PRIME MINISTERS TO BE HELD IN DELHI OR SINGAPORE NEXT SUMMER FOR CONSULTATIONS ON. BRITAIN'S
PROJECTED ENTRY INTO THE E.E.C.
2. THIS REPORT IS PURE SPECULATION. THE TIME AND PLACE FOR THE
NEXT PRIME MINISTERS' MEETING IS A MATTER FOR DECISION BY ALL COMMONWEALTH PRIME MINISTERS FOLLOWING CONSULTATION WITH THEM BY THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY-GENERAL (MR ARNOLD SMITH)
*
3. ABOVE LINE BEING TAKEN HERE ON THE RECORD BY NEWS DEPARTMENT
WHO ARE REFERRING INQUIRERS TO PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY TO PARLIAMEN-
TARY QUESTION ON 16 OCTOBER 1969 AS FOLLOWS:
"AT THE LAST COMMONWEALTH PRIME MINISTERS' MEETING HELD IN LONDON LAST JANUARY, IT WAS GENERALLY FELT THAT THE NEXT MEETING SHOULD BE IN 1970 1 HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY GENERAL WHOSE DUTY IT IS TO CONSULT HEADS OF GOVERNMENT ABOUT A SUITABLE DATE WILL
FOLLOW THIS UP AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME".
4. IT IS BEING ADDED UNATTRIBUTABLY IF ASKED THAT IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY 13 TAKING SOUNDINGS FROM COMMON- WEALTH GOVERNMENTS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE MEETING, BUT THAT NO TIME OR PLACE FOR SUCH A MEETING HAVE YET BEEN SUGGESTED. 5. PLEASE TAKE ADOVE LINE WHEN DEALING WITH PRESS ENQUIRIES. 6. FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION MR SMITH IS DUE TO SEE THE PRINE MINISTER NEXT WEEK WHEN THESE SUBJECTS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE DISCUSSED. THE PRIME MINISTER WILL ALSO BE ANSWERING A P.Q. ON THE SUBJECT ON
22 JANUARY.
7. MEANWHILE GOVERNMENT ENQUIRERS CAN BE TOLD THAT MR SMITH HAS BEEN REASSURING HIGH COMMISSIONERS HERE ABOUT THE COMPLETE LACK
OF FOUNDATION IN THE PRESS REPORT.
STEWART.
FCO/WHI. DISTRIBUTION:
C'WTH. CO-ORD.D.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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