PROPOSAL BY RUSSIA

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27583, 14 February 1955, Page 11

PROPOSAL BY RUSSIA

Meeting By 10 Nations (Bee. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 13. Bossia disclosed yesterday that she had proposed * 10-nation conference on Formosa to be held in Shanghai or New Delhi this month. Mr Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet Foreign Minister, handed the proposal to the British Ambassador, Sir William Hayter, eight days ago, the Moscow Radio said. The Soviet proposal suggested that Britain, Russia and India should 'be the inviting nations, and that others should include Communist China, the United States, France, Burma, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Ceylon. The Russian proposals, made to Britain while the Commonwealth Prime Ministers were still meeting in London, had been kept secret until the Moscow broadcast today. Sir William Hayter saw Mr Molotov in Moscow again last Wednesday and delivered the British reply. Mr Molotov made the conference proposal in a statement saying that the situation in the area of Formosa and other islands lying off the Chinese mainland was a threat to peace. He recalled Communist China’s reply to the United Nations, in which it said it could take part in a Security Council debate on the Formosa situation only if the Soviet resolution accusing the United States of aggression was discussed, and if the Nationalist representative was replaced by a Peking Government representative. American and British unwillingness to consider this “just demand” had made a lawful and unbiased discussion impossible, Mr Molotov said, and in the circumstances “it would be expedient to try to find other ways.” In its concluding part, the text of the Soviet Note was: “In the opinion of the Soviet Government it would be expedient for countries specially interested in the settlement of the situation which has arisen in the area of Formosa and the other Chinese islands, to consider this question at an appropriate conference. "In this conference could participate, together with the Chinese People's Republic and the United States, Britain, the USS.R, France, India. Burma, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Ceylon. “The initiative in this direction eould. in our opinion, be taken by Britain, the U.S.S.R., and India, in the event of the Government of Britain and the Government of India being agreeable to this. “The taking of such initiative would be in accord with the wishes expressed by Sir Anthony Eden on the necessity « joint efforts of Britain and the V.SJSJL fbr solving unsettled inter■attonal problems. As regards the fan and place of this conference, the JWjat Government is of the opinion Wat • eould be convened in Februthis year in Shanghai or New TB»e Soviet Government expresses We hope that the Government of Great BUtadii will give itg Sonsideration to *aaa proposals of th* Soviet Govern■ent and will give its opinion.”