MARLBOROUGH HOUSE; MEMBERS ENTER; VARIOUS DELEGATES; CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS.




Initials PK/V/CT/SC



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Background: REPRESENTATIVES FROM A NUMBER OF OVERSEAS COUNTRIES MET IN LONDON TODAY (TUESDAY) TO OPEN A THREE-DAY SEMINAR ON WORLD TRADE PROBLEMS. THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, HELD IN MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, HAS BEEN CALLED TO DISCUSS FREER WORLD TRADE AND THE CHALLENGES CONFRONTING THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH IF BRITAIN JOINS THE EUROPEAN COMMON MARKET.

THE CONFERENCE WAS ARRANGED BY THE TRADE POLICY RESEARCH CENTRE, SET UP IN LONDON LAST YEAR TO ENCOURAGE DISCUSSION OF TRADE POLICY, AND IS BEING PARTLY SPONSORED BY THE INSTITUTE OF COMMONWEALTH STUDIES, AN OXFORD UNIVERSITY GROUP, AND THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.

THE OPENING ADDRESS WAS DELIVERED BY THE BRITISH MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON DEVELOPMENT, SIR EDWARD BOYLE.

DELEGATES INCLUDE PROFESSOR GRANT L. REUBER, OF CANADA, MR. ROBIN HALLETT, OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY, MR. THOMAS CRITCHLEY, OF AUSTRALIA, PROFESSOR GERARD CURZON, OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, PROFESSOR ALI A. MAZRUI, OF UGANDA, MR. V.K. RAMASWAMI, OF INDIA, PROFESSOR DAVID MACFARLANE, OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY, CANADA, MR. EDWARD FARNON, OF NEW ZEALAND, DR. I.G. PATEL, OF INDIA, AND MR. STREETEN, OF BALLIOL COLLEGE.

ONE OF THE THEME OF THE CONFERENCE IS THAT BRITAIN, ONCE A MEMBER OF THE COMMON MARKET, SHOULD USE ALL POSSIBLE POLITICAL LEVERAGE TO MINIMISE DAMAGE TO ITS COMMONWEALTH TRADING LINKS.

DELEGATES WILL ALSO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF A SPECIAL CONFERENCE TO CONSIDER THE DRAIN OF PROFESSION AND TECHNICAL WORKERS FROM COUNTRIES LIKE INDIA AND PAKISTAN TO BRITAIN.