Nordic Economic Union Nearer

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31662, 24 April 1968, Page 17

Nordic Economic Union Nearer

(N.Z.P.A. -Reuter—Copyright)

COPENHAGEN, April 23.

A Nordic economic union seemed a step nearer last night after the first session of a two-day meeting of Nordic prime ministers in Copenhagen.

The summit is being held on Danish initiative to clarify the Nordic position on relations with the Common Market, relations with the European Free Trade Association (E.F.T.A.), and the future of Nordic economic co-operation.

The Nordic countries are Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. The first three are E.F.T.A. members and have applied for Common Market membership. Finland is an associate E.F.T.A. member.

On the first two points, the Danish Prime Minister, Mr Baunsgaard, told a press conference last night that there were no differences of opinion.

On the third he said the meeting “had very definitely led in the right direction.” In Bonn yesterday France and West Germany agreed that Common Market Foreign Ministers should spell out the trade arrangement they were prepared to accept with Britain and other countries applying for Common Market membership.

The French and German Foreign Ministers, Mr Maurice Couve de Murville and Mr Willy Brandt, felt that Common Market ministers should get down to practical talks on the contents of a special arrangement, informed sources said.

Both Ministers, who held regular political talks in Copenhagen yesterday, wanted Common Market ministers to get away from theoretical discussion of the applications which had remained deadlocked since last December, the sources said.