'Record of interview between the Minister for External Affairs and the French Minister, 7 February 1949'

The French Minister came to see the Minister yesterday evening and told him that France had been authorised by the five members of the Brussels Consultative Council (Britain, France, Belgium, Holland and Luxemburg) to approach the Irish Government with the enquiry whether they would wish to be associated with the formation of the proposed Council of Europe as an original member.

Count Ostrorog said that France had been requested to approach Ireland and Norway and that Britain was to approach Denmark and Sweden. Italy had already been asked, but it was not proposed, for the present at least, to invite Switzerland, Portugal or - until the Peace Treaty had been formally concluded with her - Austria. The limitation of the present invitations to Ireland and the Scandinavian countries was in no sense final. Other European countries might, and probably would, be invited to join later.

Handing the Minister the telegram a translation of which is attached, Count Ostrorog said that what he was really asking at the moment was whether the Irish Government were disposed to take part in a Conference which it was proposed to hold in the reasonably near future to hammer out the details of the organisation of the proposed new European body.

The Minister told Count Ostrorog that he had already considered, in a preliminary way, the question of Ireland's participation in the proposed new Council of Europe, which he understood would have nothing to do with defence or military matters, and that his own mind was favourably disposed towards the idea. He would, however, raise the matter at today's meeting of the Cabinet and hoped to be able to give Count Ostrorog a definite indication of the Irish Government's attitude this evening or tomorrow. The Minister added that, from the information at his disposal, he gathered that the Scandinavian countries, including Sweden, were also favourably disposed towards the idea.