EASTERN EUROPE AND RUSSIA

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25712, 26 January 1949, Page 5

EASTERN EUROPE AND RUSSIA

ECONOMIC COUNCIL ESTABLISHED OFFICIAL STATEMENT IN MOSCOW (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) MOSCOW, January 25. Russia and five Eastern European countries have established a “Council for Mutual Economic Assistance” because they refuse “to submit to the Marshall Plan dictate.”

This was disclosed in an official statement issued in Moscow this morning. which said that representatives of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Rumania, Russia and Czechoslovakia had been meeting in Moscow’ during this month. No mention was made of Jugoslavia.

The Moscow statement said that the council would have as its task the exchange of experiences in the economic field, the rendering of mutual assistance. and the exchange of raw materials, foodstuffs, machinery, and equipment. The conference had found that East European co-operation with Russia had already speeded up the restoration and development of their national economies. The conference had also established that there was a boycott of Eastern Europe and Russia by Britain. America, and certain other Western countries. The new council would be open to any other European countries sharing the principles of the present participants. The statement said that the council would meet periodically in the capitals of all the signatories in turn, under the chairmanship of the representative of the country in whose capital the session took place. All the member countries would have equal rights and any decision affecting a member would be subject to that rqember’s veto.