U.S.A.: CANADIAN EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER MITCHELL SHARP TALKS ABOUT VIETNAM INTERNATIONAL CONTROL COMMISSION

Record ID: 1063276

  • Title: U.S.A.: CANADIAN EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER MITCHELL SHARP TALKS ABOUT VIETNAM INTERNATIONAL CONTROL COMMISSION
  • Date: 25th January 1973
  • Summary: 1. SV Mr. Sharp, (Canadian External Affairs Minister) 0.03 2. CU Mr. Sharp being interviewed (SOUND) 1.36 The following extract from Mr. Sharp's news conference is on the film. REPORTER: "Could you tell us what kind of doubts you had and whether they were resolved today?" SHARP: "The doubts we have arise out of membership in the International Control Commission in Vietnam. I have categorised the recent activities of that commission recently as being a farce. And we said we didn't want to repeat that. So the conditions we laid down some weeks ago now are resigned to prevent a repetition of the futile operations of the International Control Commission in Vietnam and Laos and Cambodia." REPORTER: "Do you think a force of 1160 men in this advanced country can be effective?" SHARP: "Well, I said yesterday in the House of Commons that if the parties to the truce are not prepared to observe it, there's nothing that Canada or any other member of the Commission can do to prevent a breakdown of the agreement. What we can do is perhaps give some confidence to those who are trying to observe the truce -- that it is in fact being observed. And that's all that a supervisory commission can do. Perhaps occasionally we might help in minor mediation, but our function is to observe and report, and to give some confidence to the parties to the agreement that the truce is in fact not being broken. But if in fact it is being broken, then there's nothing we can do about it. We're not going to fight anybody. We're not in there as troops to keep the peace, we're in there to support. Initials ES. 1650 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 8th February 1973 12:00
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  • Location: WASHINGTON DC, USA
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  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA68Y7J20TDJHIYANK2ZDR1AVX8
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  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS - SOURCE TO BE VERIFIED
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