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1. MALTA:
NEGOTIATIONS WITH MALTA MINISTERS ON THE DEFENCE RUN-DOWN
(Previous Reference: OPD(67) 7th Meeting)
The Committee had before them a note by the Chairman of the Defence Review Working Party (OPD(67) 13) covering a report by officials containing
proposals for the conduct of negotiations on our proposed defence run-down with the Prime Minister of Malta (Dr. Olivier).
Maltese Measures against our Forces
THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (MR. GORDON WALKER) said that since
his return from his visit to Malta on Tuesday, 21st February, disagreenent
with Dr. Olivier had arisen over the cessation of the current Maltese
measures of harassment of our forces. In a message from Dr. Olivier received earlier in the day (Valletta telegram no, 292) Dr. Olivier
asserted that in his discussions with the Minister without Portfolio,
while he had agreed not to proceed with the third reading of the Maltese Visiting Forces (Amendment) Bill, he had also said that the "status quo"
would be maintained in relation to the measures taken in regard to our
forces stationed in the island. The Minister's understanding, on the
contrary, was that he had clearly made it a condition both that action on the Maltese legislation should be suspended and that the measures of
harassment of our forces should cease. Nevertheless, it was possible
that there had been some genuine misunderstanding in the course of the
lengthy discussions. The question was whether we should insist, as a
precondition of the negotiations taking place, on the cessation of these
measures which were more an inconvenience than any personal
"harassment" against our forces. Dr. Olivier's attitude, though
troublesone, did not seem sufficient justification for losing the opportunity of negotiating with the Maltese on the defence run-down. therefore proposed (with the concurrence of the Defence Secretary) to send a message in reply to Dr. Olivier to the effect that, while he was clear that the cessation of the measures against our forces had been put forward
as a condition, there might have been a misunderstanding and he did not
wish this to stand in the way of the proposed negotiations, provided that
the "status quo" was maintained and there was no intensification of the
measures, and he therefore urged Dr. Olivier to come for negotiations to
begin the following Tuesday, 28th February. In giving guidance to the
Press he would stress the point that the measures were an administrative
inconvenience rather than the personal harassment of our forces and their
familios, and that this could be accepted for a week or two though it
would become intolerable before long. The negotiations in London must
therefore be concluded in a short period.
He
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