Clash of wills in Paris

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34031, 20 December 1975, Page 15

Clash of wills in Paris

(N.Z PA -Reuter—Copyright) PARIS,. December 19. The Ministerial Conference on International Economic Co-operation has ended early with a compromise declaration that, in effect, has swept all problems under the carpet until next year.

Differing interpretations of the document, quoted by delegates, make it clear that the same arguments which marked the conference are likely to erupt again when the issues are re-examined on January 26. The dispute underlined the basic mistrust that still exists between the eight! industrialised and 19 developing participants represented at the Paris confer- ■ ence: mutual suspicion forced a preparatory meeting in October to pass on the substantive problems to the Ministers, who have now : passed them on to the experts. Four commissions were appointed to meet on February 16 to begin discussing energy, raw materials, development, and financial matters. The United States and Saudi Arabia are co-chair- ! men of the energy commission. The industrialised countries led by the United States wanted the mandates of the commissions to remain in the same broad language in which they were written in the October draft agenda. The oil-producers and their Third World allies, led by Algeria, wanted to make the language more precise to ensure that the industrial countries were bound to discuss such matters as the protection of purchasing power for raw materials exporters, the transfer of

technology, financial aid, and similar issues. Behind this seemingly procedural wrangle was a clash of wills, each group determined to show that it will not be forced down in negotiations over the next year.