MALTA TALKS’ FINAL STAGE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31315, 10 March 1967, Page 13

MALTA TALKS’ FINAL STAGE

(H.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON, March 9.

Britain's Cabinet plans today to discuss the military base dispute with Malta as a matter of importance, with talks in London between the two sides reaching their final critical stage. Mr Patrick Gordon Walker,

the Minister without portfolio who leads the British

team negotiating with the Maltese Government delegates, said last night that he would tell the Cabinet where both sides had reached in the talks. But the Maltese Prime Minister, Dr. Georg Borg Olivier, said after leaving the conference table at the Commonwealth office that he could not understand why agreement had not been reached at the session.

“The British are being too hard,” he said.

Only two points stood in the way of settlement—the aid programme to Malta and a breathing space to enable the economy to steady after the British defence rundown. The talks resume tonight in a new effort to crack the deadlock over Britain’s plans to withdraw two-thirds of its 4300 forces in Malta in the next five years and over ways to cushion Maltese unemployment which will follow their withdrawal.

Dr. Borg Olivier said that he was asking for a breathing space essential to Malta “where we are starting a new economy.” “I don’t see why the British Government cannot be big and give us what we ask fnr ”

Asked by reporters if he thought Mr Gordon Walker would seek more powers at

the Cabinet meeting to settle the dispute, the Maltese Prime Minister replied: “I have a feeling that he is a plenipotentiary and that he doesn’t have to go to the Government for more powers.” Dr. Borg Olivier said that he was not asking for more money but merely the money that was allocated to Malta on independence.