Relations between Western European states, Canada and the United States (General policy of the Council of Europe)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 7 and 8 October 1975 (16th and 17th Sittings) (see Doc. 3657see Doc. 3657, report of the Political Affairs Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 8 October 1975 (17th Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Having noted the report by its Political Affairs Committee on relations between Western European states, Canada and the United States (
Doc. 3657) ;
2. Recognising the joint responsibilities of Western European and North American states towards security and co-operation in Europe as well as towards economic development and cooperation in the world ;
3. Considering that transatlantic relations should also continue to be developed in the various political, economic, social, cultural and scientific fields which are of mutual interest for Western European states, Canada and the United States ;
4. Convinced that the pooling of their knowledge and experience in different fields will be of great mutual benefit to all concerned ;
5. Noting with satisfaction the excellent concertation which took place between Western European states, Canada and the United States during the negotiations at the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe ;
6. Welcoming the fact that some progress has been made in evolving a common attitude between Western European states, Canada and the United States in the dialogue with energy-producing countries and in the general discussion on global economic co-operation ;
7. Deploring some developments within the United Nations and its Specialised Agencies which try to exploit them as an irrelevant ideological platform and undermine the fundamental aims of this organisation,
8. Urges all the governments concerned :
to give priority to the following objectives :
a taking full advantage of all existing multilateral organisations, in order to develop transatlantic co-operation in the political, economic, social, cultural and scientific fields ;
b the multiplication of transatlantic contacts at parliamentary level, in order to broaden mutual understanding of the problems and preoccupations on both sides of the Atlantic ;
c ensuring close harmonisation of all follow-up action to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, including the preparation of the meeting foreseen in Belgrade in June 1977 ;
d a co-ordination of Atlantic trade, monetary and development policies, as well as that of attitudes on the urgent problems relating to inflation and employment ;
e facilitating economic and social co-operation between industrialised and developing countries, whether they be raw material producers or not, and promoting closer relations between energy-producing and energy-consuming countries, in order to make possible an effective dialogue between rich and poor countries, with a view to setting up a new world economic system which
to reaffirm their attachment to the ideals of genuine democracy and their determination to resist by all means the gradual erosion of democratic institutions.
