32-10-26 20:53
Msg 640 Title : 6S
CENTROFORN LON 919444
RETRACT 06526 OCT
CONFIDENTIAL
ANNEX C
LONDON PRESS SERVICE
TUESDAY 26TH OCTOBER 1982 TRANSMISSIOR LATE ITEM (THO)
RETRACT 06526 OCT (COPY OF COI
ITEN TWO: UK MINISTER ON GATT
76/2715 OCTUBBER).
FLOMATIC
BY GARY HICKS, LPS CHIEF DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT TIC CORRESPONDENT
}:
LUXEMBOURG (LPS): THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NOVEMBER MEETING OF WORLD TRADE MINISTERS IN GENEVA WAS STREDBED HERE TONIGHT 26 OCTOBER BY: BRITAIN'S HINISTER OF STATE FOR TRADE, HR. PETER REES, AFTER THE: EUROPEAN COMMUNITY STILL FOUND ITSELF UNABLE TO AGREE ON A COMMON STANCE.
SCORES OF COUNTRIES ARE PREPARING TO TAKE PART IN THE TALKS TO BE HELD BETWEEN 24-27 NOVEMBER UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE SENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE (GATT), WHICH HAS THE FRAMEWORK OF INTERNATIONAL TRADING SINCE 1945. AS THE WORLD! S
REGULATED LARGEST TRADING GROUP, THE EC IS A KEY PARTICIPANT.
,་
COMMUNITY TRADE MINISTERS DISCUSSED THEIR APPROACH TO
THE MINISTERIAL GET-TOGETHER OF GATT, THE FIRST SUCH IN TEN YEARS ON THE FINAL DAY OF THEIR REGULAR KONTHLY MEETING HERE. ALTHOUGH, AN AGREED POSITION HAS YET TO BE HAMMERED OUT, THEIR DISCUSSIONS ARE NOT REGARDED AS UNCONSTRUCTIVE.
KR. REES, SPEAKING TO NEWSMEN AFTERWARDS, EXPLAINED: FOR GATT ARE MARGINALLY BETTER AS A RESULT OF THE DEBATE WHICH I HOPE ''PROSPECTS MS HAS CLEARED THE AIR''..
!
HE WARNED, HOWEVER, THE HORE HE DELAY GETTING AN EC PURITION, THE LESS LIKELY WE ARE TO INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME. BUT I MUST NOT BE TOO GLOOMY AS THERE 19 TACIT EC ABREEMENT ON A HIDE RANGE OF ISSUES. REAFFIRMING HIS COUNTRY'S SUPPORT FOR GATT, WHICH HAS
ROVIDED A FO RUM FOR NEGOTIATIONS LEADING TO THE REDUCTION OF TRADE KARRIERS TO THEIR PRESENT HISTORICALLY LOW LEVELS, HE SAID: ''WĘ; TTACK IMPORTANCE TO THE PROCESS AND WE WANT 10 SEE SOMETHING POSITIVE COMING OUT OF IT, ALTHOUGH IT IS CLEARLY HARD GOING AT. PRESENT IN, GENEVA,!!
STEEL
1
•
CONFIDENTIAL