TNAG-0281-FCO40-317-Visit-of-the-Chancellor-of-the-Duchy-of-Lancaster-to-Hong-Ko-1970 — Page 22

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CONFIDENTIAL

Document No. 10

RECORD OF A MEETING BETWEEN THE RIGHT HON. GEOFFREY RIPPON, Q C, M P, CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER, AND Mr. SWARTZ, AUSTRALIAN MINISTER OF STATE FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACTING MINISTER OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, HELD AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA, ON TUESDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER, 1970

Present:

The Right Hon. Geoffrey Rippon, QC,

M P.

HE Sir Charles Johnston.

Mr. Tickell.

EEC negotiations

Mr. Swartz.

After an exchange of courtesies, Mr. Rippon said that he thought the prospects for British entry into the Community were generally good. Things had really moved forward as a result of the summit meeting of the Six at The Hague last December. It would not be possible to settle all problems in the negotiations; this time we should not open ourselves to the criticism that they had become interminable. He hoped that the arrangements Her Majesty's Government had made for the Australian Government to be informed about progress in the negotiations were satisfactory.

Australian minerals

2. Mr. Swartz said that he was concerned about the export of Australian minerals to Europe in the event of the enlargement of the Community. What would, for example, happen to lead and zinc? Mr. Rippon said that we were drawing up a list of materials for which special arrangements would be made. Mr. Swartz said that another aspect of the problem was that it was Australian policy to encourage processing of raw materials (for example, bauxite) in Australia. He would like to know whether this policy was in conflict with the policy of the Community which, as he understood it, imposed tariffs on processed products. Mr. Rippon said he would look into both problems.

Political integration

3. Mr. Swartz asked about progress in Europe towards political integration. Mr. Rippon replied that so far no more than transitional arrangements had been worked out. The candidate countries were now being consulted about them. The whole process was, as M. Pompidou had recently said, very slow.

4. Mr. Swartz expressed anxiety about the future attitude of an enlarged Community towards the outside world. Mr. Rippon said that so far as aid to developing countries was concerned, the record of the member countries of the present Community was as good as if not better than our own. As for economic investment, the London capital market would of course remain open. He did not foresee any serious problem in this respect. The fundamental point was that British membership of the Community would help orient Community policies in a liberal and outward-looking direction, the direction that both Britain and Australia thought right.

CONFIDENTIAL