Brandt Predicts British Bid

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31981, 7 May 1969, Page 17

Brandt Predicts British Bid

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON, May 6.

The West German Foreign Minister (Mr Willy Brandt) last night predicted that before the year was out the Common Market would be involved in serious negotiations for a British entry.

Mr Brandt made his comment as he left the Council of Europe session which opened yesterday. He is the chairman of the Council’s committee of ministers.

He told reporters: “1 not only hope but think there is good chance that before we come to the end of this year we will have entered into a period of serious negotiations on British entry.”

Mr Brandt said that a lot would depend on the forthcoming French elections. Earlier yesterday, Mr Brandt said that Europe must soon know more clearly how it wants to organise itself—now that President de Gaulle had departed from the scene. Mr Brandt was speaking as host at a luncheon given here to mark the start of a two-day ministerial meeting of the Council of Europe. He said Europe should soon know what the stages of its development and integration would be. “That is what the common welfare of our nation requires," he said. “That is also What our responsibility towards the world demands.” Mr Brandt found a need for a keener and more vigorous sense of European solidarity. He continued: “I say this at a moment when a European statesman (an obvious reference to General de Gaulle) has left the political stage, who has inscribed his

name repeatedly and unmistakably into the book of history.” Emphasising that FrenchGerman friendship remained an indispensable element of European unity, Mr Brandt said: “It is as indispensable as our friendship and trustful co-operation with the country (Britain), whose guests we have the privilege of being today.” The Foreign Minister insisted that—" Contrary to some outdated assertions— West Germany does not seek any special position in Europe but wants a community without any concepts of hegemony.” “The waiting period of Britain’s entry to the European Common Market is a little more fluid than it was,” the British Prime Minister (Mr Harold Wilson) said in a television interview shown throughout Australia last night ‘Tve talked many times about the road-block imposed by General de Gaulle, well, presumably he won’t be there to impose it further, but many people are commit* ted to support his policy, so I think we’d better see what happens,” Mr Wilson said. Mr Wilson was asked if General de Gaulle’s resignation had cleared the way for . British entry.

“Oh, I think its far too early to speculate about that,” Mr Wilson replied. “The decision of the French people is, of course, a matter for the French people. They now have to go through an election which takes some weeks, no-one can forecast who will be the next President of France. “When he becomes President he’s got to form a Government, when he's formed a Government, it’s got to decide its attitude to this. But I think many people may well feel that over a period of time this matter will be looked at perhaps rather more in terms of what is in the best interests of Europe, of Britain, yes indeed, and of France as well. “Perhaps fewer decisions will be taken on the basis of memories of what happened 25 years ago.”