Spread Of Nuclear Weapons Condemned

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30630, 22 December 1964, Page 7

Spread Of Nuclear Weapons Condemned

(N.Z P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

PARIS, Dec. 20.

Foreign ministers of the 15-nation Atlantic Alliance last week jointly announced their strong determination to avoid the spread of nuclear weapons.

The communique at the end of their three-day annual stocktaking said the ministers “confirmed their determination to continue their efforts to arrive at agreements in the field of disarmament. In this connexion, they stressed the importance

of avoiding the dissemination of nuclear weapons.”

They also said “the problems confronting the alliance in the field of conventional and nuclear weapons” were examined.

This was a reference to the controversial United States proposal for a seaborne multilateral nuclear force and the new. wider British plan for an Atlantic nuclear force. Diplomatic observers said among highlights of the talks during the three-day conference were:—

East-West Relations.—The communique announced that in this field the basic causes of tension still persisted and would “persist as long as it remain the aim of the Communist countries to extend their system to the whole world.” The foreign and defence ministers noted that recent developments in China and the Soviet Union had increased the “uncertainties with which the world is faced.” N.A.T.O. Unity.—The ministers “reiterated their conviction that it remained essential for the alliance to maintain and strengthen its unity.” Disarmament.—The communique announced the ministers’ determination to seek agreements and avoid dissemination of nuclear weapons.

Berlin and Germany.—The Ministers reaffirmed their determination to continue efforts to find a peaceful solution to East-West differences and in particular “to attach great importance to making progress towards meeting the legitimate aspirations of the German people to reunification on the basis of their right to self-deter-mination.”