De Gaulle Invites Wilson For Talks

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31380, 27 May 1967, Page 13

De Gaulle Invites Wilson For Talks

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) PARIS, May 26. Mr Harold Wilson will meet President de Gaulle in Paris on June 19 for fresh talks on Britain’s application to join the Common Market.

The meeting was announced yesterday, only nine days after President de Gaulle announced strong reservations about early British membership.

Official quarters in Paris hope next month’s meeting will help remove any grounds for misunderstanding or bitterness between the two countries over the British application. President de Gaulle believes that Anglo-French relations must be developed fully to deal with. international situations, independent of what turn negotiations may take on the Common Market, the sources said.

They added that President de Gaulle has now made clear that his enumeration of difficulties arising over Britain’s entry into the Common Market was made in good faith, in a spirit of objectivity, and to avoid the danger of eventual negotiations running into the sand because of misunderstandings. Informed sources in London said Mr Wilson and President de Gaulle will also discuss the Middle East and other wortd issues. The talks will follow Mr

Wilson’s visit to Ottawa and Washington next week and the meeting in Rome next Monday and Tuesday of the leaders of the Common Market countries. Paris observers said the fact that the Invitation had also been extended to Mrs Wilson indicates the friendly and frank atmosphere in which both sides wish to approach the problem of

Britain’s entry Into the Common Market. The French public is very much in favour of Britain entering the market, according to the results of an opinion poll. Sixty per cent of those questioned were in favour, and only 13 per cent opposed British entry. < Twenty-seven per cent expressed no opinion.