Veto Applied By de Gaulle

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31384, 1 June 1967, Page 13

Veto Applied By de Gaulle

(Special Correspondent N Z P.A .) LONDON, May 31. President de Gaulle is reported still to believe that associate status for Britain during the transition period while the British economy adjusts itself to the Treaty of Rome and the common agricultural policy is the only meaningful approach to Britain’s application for E.E.G. membership.

So writes the Rome correspondent of the "Guardian” after the summit meeting of the Six in Rome.

“To make it more palatable,” the correspondent adds, 'the President may find some word other than association to describe the interim status he has in mind, and this will certainly be discussed when Mr Wilson visits Paris shortly.” President de Gaulle yesterday rejected demands from France's Common Market partners for immediate negotiations on Britain’s bid fori membership. At the meeting in Rome President de Gaulle listened patiently to pleas for early negotiations from the leaders of the five other member

nations—and then applied his veto. The British bid for membership will be discussed by the Market’s foreign ministers in Brussels on June 6. But, as President de Gaulle has talks scheduled with Mr Harold Wilson for June 19 on the same subject, the foreign ministers are considered unlikely to reach any agreement Behind the scenes lay a clash between the Dutch, Belgians, and Italians—who want a speedy opening to negotiations with Britain—and the French, who argue that British entry will fundamentally change the nature of the community, N.Z.P.A.-Reuter said. The French want full agreement between the Six members first before accepting Britain. Plan Dropped Belgium’s Prime Minister, Mr Paul Vanden Boeynants, obtained Dutch support for a proposal that Britain should be called on to explain its viewpoint on membership before the market’s Council of Ministers. But the idea was dropped when little enthusiasm was shown by the West German Chancellor, Dr. Kiesinger. President de Gaulle and Dr. Kiesinger will be received in separate audiences by Pope Paul today. President de Gaulle will be received with the pageantry and ceremony reserved for Heads of State. Immediately afterwards the Pope will grant a private audience to Dr. Kiesinger before the Chancellor flies back to West Germany. President de Gaulle ends his Italian tour with a 24-hour private visit to Venice. He will fly there this afternoon.