Central Treaty Organization

Extract

The eighth session of the Ministerial Council of the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) was held in Teheran, Iran, from April 28 to 30, 1960. Dr. Manouchehr Eghbal, Prime Minister of Iran, was chairman of the session. In its final communiqué, the Council expressed the hope that the nuclear tests conference would reach a solution providing for the suspension of these tests under adequate international control, and that the ten-nation disarmament conference would also make real progress. It further noted the recent and forthcoming top-level contacts with the government of the Soviet Union and expressed support for the efforts being made to secure the easing of tension. In speeches made to the opening meeting of the Council, Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd of the United Kingdom and Secretary of State Christian Herter of the United States stressed that all discussions with the government of the Soviet Union would be conducted by the Western powers with full regard for the interests of their allies in CENTO and the other regional organizations, and the member countries would be kept informed of such discussions. The Council agreed that the efforts to ease tension should be genuine, being not only expressed in words but demonstrated in deeds as well.