Visit of Prime Minister Tindemans of Belgium White House Statement Issued Following the Meeting Between the President and the Prime Minister.

The President met today at the White House with Prime Minister Leo Tinderoans of Belgium. The Prime Minister, who is also the current President of the European Council, is visiting Washington at the invitation of the President. The President hosted the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Simonet, and the Belgian party at a White House working lunch. The discussions covered a wide range of political and economic topics in both our bilateral relations and U.S. relations with the Community.

The President and the Prime Minister reviewed economic conditions in their two countries, the European Community, and the world, and agreed on the need for continued close cooperation among the industrial democracies in sustaining economic growth and addressing global economic problems. The President re. affirmed U.S. support for the European Community, noting that he will be visiting E.C. headquarters, as well as that of NATO, during his upcoming visit to Belgium. The two leaders both stressed the importance of significant results in the multilateral trade negotiations currently underway, agreeing on the importance of resisting protectionist measures and recognizing that freer trade would promote the orderly economic growth of both the developed and developing countries.

The President reiterated the U.S. commitment to the defense of Western Europe and to the strengthening of the NATO Alliance. He expressed satisfaction that positive steps were being taken in the Alliance to implement initiatives he had suggested and that had been adopted at the NATO summit meeting in May. The Prime Minister indicated that Belgium fully concurred in the need for a strong Europe and pointed to his country's good record in sharing the defense burden, noting that the United States and Belgium were cooperating in joint production of MAC-58 machine-guns and the F-16 aircraft.

The President and the Prime Minister discussed a wide range of arms control and disarmament issues. The President welcomed Belgium's participation in the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation. Both leaders agreed on the need to reduce both the quality and quantity of arms sold by all weapons-producing countries. The Prime Minister noted that his country had been using considerable restraint over the export of arms to sensitive areas and that Belgium had taken important initiatives in the U.N., proposing that controls on arms sales be considered in the context of regional disarmament measures.

The President and the Prime Minister expressed their satisfaction with the agreement reached by the United States and Belgium on October 18, under which Belgium acquires a route to Atlanta in addition to the one already enjoyed to New York. The two leaders also endorsed the emphasis given by the new agreement to promoting low-fare scheduled service and liberalized charter arrangements over the Atlantic.

Prime Minister Tindemans offered the President his analysis of the state of the movement towards European unification. Specifically he mentioned the progress represented by direct election of the European Parliament, which is scheduled for 1978. The Prime Minister also underlined that Greece, Portugal, and Spain had all applied for membership in the Community. President Carter repeated that the United States remained unequivocally committed to European unity and a strong Community.

Prime Minister Tindemans expressed his view that the Community should be represented at Western summit meetings and involved in any followup. The President said that we fully support the principle of E.C. participation but believe the nature of that participation must be determined by the Community itself.

The Prime Minister and the President agreed on the importance of cooperative efforts to assist developing countries with sustaining economic growth and meeting the basic needs of their poor. In that context, Prime Minister Tindemans raised the issue of a major economic development program for Zaire to be implemented in the framework of a joint international effort, an issue which had been raised with the Belgian Government by President Mobutu in June. The President indicated that he supported the principle of such an aid program for Zaire, and he expressed the hope that Belgium would continue to promote a joint program within a multilateral framework, in harmony with the important economic and reform measures now underway in Zaire.

The Prime Minister and the President noted the close harmony in the approaches of their two Governments to the CSCE review conference in Belgrade, and expressed their intent to consult closely on developments at the conference. They emphasized the need for a full, frank review of the entire Final Act, without polemics, and stressed the importance of human rights aspects. The Prime Minister and the President reiterated their support for participation at the conference by the Community.