COMMON MARKET

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32018, 19 June 1969, Page 17

COMMON MARKET

Plea From Chalfont (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) PARIS, June 18. The British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Lord Chalfont) said in Paris yesterday that Britain wanted to see negotiations for her entry into the Common Market begun at the earliest possible moment. Addressing the assembly of the Western European Union, which groups Britain with the six Common Market countries, Lord Chalfont said he was confident that the enlargement of the community would open the way to internal development equalling that achieved during the Common Market’s early years. “I am sure that the new French Government will regard this issue as among the most urgent it faces,” he added.

Lord Chalfont said negotiations for Britain’s entry into the Common Market should be concentrated on the few very important economic issues. “We shall then want to play a full part, with you, in developing the communities in the political, as well as in the economic field,” he said.

The Dutch Foreign Minister (Mr Joseph Luns) told the assembly that he planned to ask the Netherland’s Common Market partners to make a declaration of intent to begin negotiations with Britain and the three other applicants, Denmark, Ireland and Norway.

Belgium’s Socialist senator, Mr Georges Housiaux, was today elected president of the assembly in the first round of a secret ballot, with 52 votes, compared with 32 for the British Conservative M.P., Mr Duncan Sandys.