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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS,
Washington, D.C., October 31, 1977.

Hon. CLEMENT J. ZABLOCKI,

Chairman, Committee on International Relations,

House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: We are submitting for consideration by the Committee on International Relations a report on the meetings held in London on July 11-13, 1977, by members of the committee, and other Members of the House with an official delegation of the European Parliament.

We hope that the report will be useful to the committee in its consideration of legislation relating to U.S. relations with Europe. DONALD M. FRASER.

(V)

1

PREFACE

The London meeting described in this report is significant for several reasons. Of the 10 previous meetings of the delegations of the European Parliament and the Congress, none had focused as precisely as this, the 11th meeting, on the usefulness of Working Groups to carry forth the joint discussion program. In London we seemed to find the proper approach to the problem of concentrating the energies of participants on specific areas of concern. This is the approach of the working group.

The participants who discussed human rights and nuclear proliferation questions in London were unanimous in wanting to preserve their working group method in future meetings. This will be done in early November when the two delegations meet again. There is every reason to believe that the London success will be repeated in Washington.

This experience with concentrating the attentions of participants on two key discussions is typical of the 6-year history of these meetings. We have experimented with both substantive topics and ways of discussing them. We have learned some useful techniques and are still searching for others. A pragmatism in approach has been combined with a broad commitment to the value of bringing United States and European Community parliamentarians together regularly to discuss common interests.

On behalf of my American and European colleagues, I hope that this account of our London meeting will be as useful as the discussions themselves proved to be.

(IX)

DONALD M. FRASER,
US. Delegation Cochairman.

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