Another German Summit In May

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32252, 21 March 1970, Page 11

Another German Summit In May

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

BONN, March 20.

Chancellor Willy Brandt returned to Bonn by train at dawn today from the first East German-West German summit meeting looking forward hopefully to his next meeting in May with the East German Prime Minister (Mr Willi Stoph).

Mr Brandt, due to report to the Bundestag today on his discussions yesterday with Mr Stoph at Erfurt, in East Germany, said that the most important result was that he would be talking with Mr Stoph again.

This will be on May 21 at Kassall in West Germany.

He spoke during a brief stop after his special train crossed the border on the way back to Bonn from his strenuous 16 hours on East German soil, which included a visit to the notorious Nazi concentra tion camp of Buchenwald. In the Bundestag, meanwhile, the Chancellor is expected to face heavy criticism from the Christian Democrat Opposition benches. The former West German Finance Minister (Dr Franz

Josef Strauss), retorted yesterday on West German radio that Mr Brandt had shown a dangerous readiness for agreements which in the long or short term —if not at once—would lead to the recognition of East Germany under international law.

Today, the Opposition party will follow Mr Brandt’s report with its own declaration which is expected to be sharply critical of Government policy. The Christian Democrats have rejected an invitation to attend a special Cabinet meeting preceding the Bundestag session. But Parliamentary criticism or not, March 19, 1970, will be a day to remember for Mr Brandt, the first West German Chancellor to step on East German soil. Enthusiastic crowds pushed their way through police cordons to cheer him with shouts of “Willy, Willy” when he ar-

rived yesterday morning in Erfurt.

But for the rest of the day well-drilled choruses demanded recognition for East Germany and an end to neoNaziism in West Germany. The pattern of the talks between the two leaders was perhaps foreseeable. A demand for international recognition from Mr Stoph was countered firmly by Mr Brandt who said his main objective was to launch negotiations with the j aim of concluding treaties . with East Germany binding in international law as between equal partners. He proposed that both coun- [ tries might reach agreement [on such issues as improving I communications and an easier [ arrangements for business be- [ tween East and West German I firms.

But he rejected full diplomatic recognition of East Germany. “I am convinced that . . . the concept of recognition under international law . . . is not relevant to the establishment of equal relations between East and West Germany" the Chancellor said in a prepared statement.