NORTH ATLANTIC PACT

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25737, 24 February 1949, Page 5

NORTH ATLANTIC PACT

Brussels Powers To Meet To Study Draft

(N.Z. Press Association-Copyright) (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 03 The Permanent Commission of the five Brussels Treaty Powers will meet in London to-day to consider the drifter a ‘ ’ m “ 2ed '™»"" '«“• **s2 suit will be discussed at to-day’s meeting, which will also instruct the ambassadors of the Brussels Powers in Washington on the attitude they should take. asning theend of h the e week a ” the Bituation wi » bc clarified by The Greek Foreign Minister (Mr Tsaldaris), who is visiting Britain, said yesterday that he had told the Foreign Secretary (Mr Ernest Bevin), when they met on Monday, of his plans for a Mediterranean pact parallel to the North Atlantic Pact. ' Mr Tsaldaris, in an interview, said he believed that an Atlantic pact was the key to the world security system since Ft would establish a principle of American policy. He also envisaged a stage-by-stage consolidation of regional security by the Mediterranean Powers but he agreed that the discussions should only become formal after the Sl gning of the Atlantic Pact had prepared the ground.

Mr Tsaldaris said that the first step would be a pact linking Turkey, Grece, Italy, France, and Britain. He hoped it would eventually be possible to solve political problems and allow Spain to join. The second phase would be an extension to tie in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Transjordan, and possibly Pakistan. Mr Tsaldaris admitted that many problems faced such a scheme, but he said he firmly favoured extending regional associations to span the world. It is understood that the Turkish Foreign Minister (Mr Sadak), who .'also recently saw Mr Bevin, supports the Greek idea. Both Greece ‘and Turkey believe that a Mediterjranean pact would greatly reinforce ! the North Atlantic Pact. “The visits to London of Mr Sadak and Mr Tsaldaris are a reminder that Western Europe’s interests lie in the Mediterranean as well as the At-

lantic,” says “The Times’* in a leading article. “If the Atlantic is now the centre of Western power and Western civilisation, the Mediterranean remains both strategically and spiritually an essential part of the Western world. “It is only natural that while the Atlantic Pact is being discussed in Washington these Mediterranean countries should look for a reassurance that they are not forgotten. This is as true of Italy as of Greece or Turkey. The Atlantic Pact must be the firm base of Western defence, but without control of the Mediterranean it would be a precarious tenure.’’