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10. Mr Murray, in a reference to M. Tindemans forthcoming visit enquired how seriously the TUC should regard his activities. Mr Callaghan said he hoped that M. Tindemans would be taken very seriously. Every opportunity should therefore be taken to make clear to him how unready British public opinion is for structual innovations, for example, for a directly elected European Assembly. It is true that no steps can be taken towards this concept without British agreement. Nevertheless Tindemans' visit to this country presents an opportunity which should be taken of exposing him to British public opinion.
11.
Mr Jones expressed concern about the implications of our energy policy, involving as it did relationships with the EEC countries. There was a risk of our upsetting OPEC countries and the rest of the world. The TUC would be looking at the problem and would then be expressing a view to the Secretary of State. The TUC would remain anxious to preserve a measure of advantage notwithstanding the high cost of our investment in North Sea oil and believed that it is possible to achieve this.
12.
As regards the observations made by Mr Callaghan about the Group of 77, Mr Jones assured him that the TUC would be considering the points he had made. He thought that the TUC's International Committee would not wish Britain and the 77 to be permanently estranged. He agreed that achievement of our policies would mean our trying to influence the 77; but Britain should keep in mind that many poverty-stricken countries had suddenly found a source of strength in combining together on matters relating to the supply of oil and other essential raw materials. He thought that our approach should be to maintain contacts and encourage them to adopt outward-looking policies rather than isolate themselves in small inward-looking groups. Mr Callaghan interjected that the Group of 77 wanted essentially a transfer of real resources, i.e. a transfer to them of our sources of wealth. These policies were expressed as demands for the transfer to developing countries of industries which provided employment in our own. This was unacceptable. Mr Jones believed that leaders in some countries e.g. Algeria, understood the reason for our opposition; they might be extremists but they were not fools. He also revealed that the TGWU had invited a party of Algerian trade unionists to visit this country.
13. Mr Jones said that developments in the CSCE were very satis- factory to the TUC's International Committee. Even to stabilise the present situation was important; and so was the follow-up in two years' time described by Mr Callaghan. Lord Briginshaw intervened to emphasise the importance he attached to the follow-up and said that a real possibility of economic co-operation on a European-wide basis appealed strongly to the TUC. Mr Callaghan said that after the CSCE the main focus of attention would be in the field of arms reduction. The British Government had significantly cut its own arms programme and in future there would be less hardware. Britain was naturally anxious, therefore, to get a reduction in other countries' armaments. A sterile discussion on disarmament had been taking place in Vienna. The Soviets had been unable to agree to Western proposals but efter the successful conclusion of the CSCE it might be possible for them to take up a
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