FOREIGN MINISTERS’ MEETINGS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24912, 27 June 1946, Page 5

FOREIGN MINISTERS’ MEETINGS

“Likely To Close Without Agreement” ITALIAN AND BALKAN PEACE TREATIES (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON. June 25. The Paris correspondent of “The Times” says: Unless several quite unexpected concessions are made, the Big r our Foreign Ministers are likely to close their examination of the Italian and Balkan treaties on June 28 without agreement. “There are many more grounds for uneasiness than were expected, and several members of delegations now believe that agreement on Trieste and Venezia Giulia is impossible this session unless the Ministers decide to postpone the question for a year or more. This is at present no more than a vague suggestion, but it is heard on many sides and the Ministers, in default of anything better, may have to accept it as a final solution.” “The Foreign Ministers after a meeting lasting two and a half hours failed to agree on any of th 6 minor points in the Italian draft treaty which are on the agenda, says Reuters correspondent in Paris. Mr Bevin, at one Stage, is reported to have declared: “The way we are going on now seems almost farcical. It really makes no difference to me what subject we discuss.” Mr Bevin made this comment during the first 40 minutes, which were devoted to talking about what subjects should be discussed.

- on the expropriation clause of the i Italian draft treaty, decided to rater - back to their deputies the question of > arbitration procedure. Mr Molotov cut short the discussion , and suggested an adjournment when s Mr Byrnes again attempted to get the French-Italian frontier question t settled. .. ... i Mr Molotov proposed that the Minr isters should resume discussion on i freedom of navigation on the Danube, i but Mr Byrnes Insisted that they adi here to the agenda, which •consisted • of a number of points of the Italian i treaty on which the Ministers’ depu- , ties had previously disagreed. The Ministers meet again to-mor-i row. a

Mr Bevin had previously tried unsuccessfully to get Mr Molotov to agree to a settlement of the Dodecanese question once and for all. The Ministers agreed last month in principle to give the Dodecanese to Greece, but Mr Molotov is still delaying his final decision. During the general discussion, Mr Molotov said he would like the Italian colonial question speeded up. Mr Bevin remarked that his impression was that it was the Russian delegation which had asked for a postponement of this question. The Ministers, however, agreed that the special Colonies Committee, which so far has not met, should convene to-morrow. The Ministers, after failing to agree