Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Radio Interview for BBC (Anglo-Italian Summit in Rome)

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: Villa Wolkonsky, Rome
Source: Thatcher Archive: COI transcript
Journalist: David Willey, BBC
Editorial comments:

MT gave interviews after lunch (which began at 1400). She called on President Pertini at 1630.

Importance ranking: Major
Word count: 588
Themes: Foreign policy (Western Europe - non-EU), Defence (Falklands), European Union (general), European Union Budget, British relations with Italy

David Willey

(BBC radio) Mrs. Thatcher, you've indicated that you're not interested in a go-between in any future negotiations in the Falklands, why is this? Do you think you don't need a go-between?

Mrs. Thatcher

Oh, because it's much better to negotiate directly on improving commercial relations, you don't need a go-between for that.

D. Willey

Can you think though that the Italian government could fulfil any useful role in the future in any possible negotiations with Argentina?

Mrs. Thatcher

No, they have not offered and I do not think it's necessary, we don't need mediators if the time is right to improve commercial relations and that's all we're talking about at the moment, with the Argentine, and we would like more friendly and better commercial relations, it's better to do it direct. We're not negotiating on sovereignty that is well understood and well known.

D. Willey

What do you feel is the Italian view on the future of the Community, are they optimistic that some agreement is going to be reached in time to save the Community from collapse?

Mrs. Thatcher

Like us they want an active Community, they believe in it like us, as a matter of idealism and practical idealism&em;as a centre of democracy and stability and a very large area of democracy and stability in the world and that's valuable to each and every member of the Community and to the world at large. They recognise and we recognise that the Community has to change if it's to survive and it will have to adapt its rules and of course it takes a lot of discussion and a lot of controversy about precisely what new rules we shall fashion, in that period at the moment, whether or not we shall solve it at Brussels I don't know, we shall make an effort. There is a lot to be done. So we recognise that we have some interests in common between Italy and ourselves and some upon hich we differ and we shall just have to tackle those. We have made our position very clear indeed, if there is to be any increase in own resources it can only be done provided there is a totally different method of financing the Community and that that method is one which is fair and equitable to Britain and to all members of the Community.

D. Willey

Does the fact that you brought over such a strong ministerial team mean that there's been an upgrading in the relations between London and Rome, do you take Italy more seriously than in the past or &dubellip;

Mrs. Thatcher

I think that they were prepared to put up a strong ministerial team of their own and of course we are in many things together, we take similar views on East&slash;West relations, we're in the Lebanon together and we have many of these things about Europe to be thrashed out, so it was advisable to bring both the Finance Ministers, Defence Ministers, Agriculture Ministers and so on.

D. Willey

And you're starting a new series of talks, a sort of round table, I understand, in the spring, with … between Britain and Italy. Is this an important development, do you think?

Mrs. Thatcher

It is, I think, an important cultural development, and a development for friendship, an Anglo&slash;Italian round table which is going to meet and we're very pleased about that.

D. Willey

Thank you.