N.A.T.O. TO DISCUSS U.S. PRESENCE IN EUROPE

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32450, 10 November 1970, Page 19

N.A.T.O. TO DISCUSS U.S. PRESENCE IN EUROPE

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) THE HAGUE, Nov. 9. About 200 Parliamentarians from 14 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries will meet in The Hague today to discuss the United States military presence in Europe, and other political and defence problems facing the alliance. The plenary session of the sixteenth North Atlantic Assembly—which acts as a link between the N.A.T.O. authorities and the Parliaments of member countries — will last two or possibly three days, conference sources said. The assembly is expected

to concentrate on the possibility of reductions in the 310,000 United States troops stationed in Western Europe, the prospects of European defence co-operations, and the West German-Soviet Non-Aggression Treaty of August last It is due to debate reports by Mr Erik Blumenfeld (West Germany) on behalf of the political committee and from Mr David Groos (Canada) for the military committee. Both reports note continuing pressure in the United States for substantial cuts in the number of United States troops based in Europe. Mr Blumenfeld said that any United States cuts would have to be phased so that Europe could re-deploy its own forces “to replace the diminished fire power of the Western conventional deterrent."

Mr Groos said: “The safest Insurance policy for Western Europe, if they fail in their attempts to persuade the United States Administration not to go ahead with force cuts, is to try to minimise the scale of such cuts oyer a period, rather than risk major unilateral cuts by the United States which do not fit into an agreed alliance timetable.” Sources said that the Assembly would also discuss the Middle East, and the problem of the environment. Speakers today will include N.A.T.O.’s Secretary-General, Mr Manuel Brosio (Italy), the Dutch Foreign Minister (Dr Joseph Luns)—tipped to succeed Mr Brosio in the N.A.-

T.O. post—and the West German Defence Minister (Mr Helmut Schmidt).

The Assembly, meeting in The Hague for the first time, was formally opened three days ago, but its work has so far been restricted to closeddoor meetings on reports and recommendations for the plenary session.