State of current East-West and transatlantic negotiations (General policy of the Council of Europe

Resolution 556 (1973)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 1 and 2 October 1973 (17th, 18th and 19th Sittings) (seeDoc. 3333, report of the Political Affairs Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 2 October 1973 (19th Sitting).

The Assembly,

1. Having considered the state of current East-West relations, and in particular of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and having followed the various negotiations between the States on both sides of the Atlantic, which should lead to a new climate between the partners inside the Western world ;

2. Welcoming in particular the efforts of EEC governments to present a single European policy in the forthcoming negotiations with North America, aiming at a new dimension of the Atlantic Alliance ;

3. Solemnly confirming their commitment to the principles of parliamentary democracy, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms laid down in the Statute of the Council of Europe,

(i) With regard to East-West relations

4. Refers to its Recommendation 692 on East-West relations in Europe adopted in January 1973, and reaffirms its position there stated ;

5. Stresses that the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe can only reach concrete results on the condition that real progress towards the free movement of people, ideas and information between East and West can be achieved, and that detente must go further than securing mutual economic benefits ;

6. Declares that parallel progress in the mutual balanced force reduction negotiations is equally essential for a successful third phase of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe ;

(ii) With regard to transatlantic relations

7. Considers that the basis and scope for Atlantic cooperation is not only a military alliance and an interdependence in the economic and monetary fields, the Alliance being a partnership of vital importance and high significance for the further development of relations in all fields between Western countries ;

8. Stresses the necessity to continue the United States defence commitment in Europe and, in this respect, furthermore expresses the hope that the necessary financial arrangements can be made between Western Europe and the United States of America ;

9. Welcomes the progress made recently towards a reform of the international monetary system and the good spirit in which the GATT negotiations were opened in Tokyo ;

10. Hopes that the GATT negotiations as well as the monetary negotiations will be conducted with a view to liberalising world trade, but feels also that it is necessary to draw attention to the interests of developing countries in this respect ;

11. Noting the great disparities in the level of development reached by these countries, which creates a danger of trade advantages granted to them worsening the situation of the poorest amongst them, hopes in this respect that the Members of the European Community and the United States of America will be able to define a common attitude which will take into account the broader interests of mankind ;

(iii) With regard to the position of the member her States of the Council of Europe

12. Welcomes the agreement reached on 11 September 1973 by the member States of the European Community on the definition of a European identity, and reaffirms the urgent need for a greater degree of unity in Europe ;

13. Invites all member States, whether they belong to the European Community or not, to agree to further developing their political concertation with a view to formally asserting the statutory principles of the Council of Europe and to effectively defending the principles stated above in the framework of East-West and Atlantic negotiations.