On 11 February 1969, the French Foreign Ministry issues a circular in which it expresses its disagreement with the British proposal to convene a meeting on the Middle East under the aegis of the Council of Western European Union (WEU) at permanent representative level. The ministry argues that this matter has already been discussed at the ministerial meeting of 7 February and emphasises that France will maintain close diplomatic contacts with the European states directly interested by the situation in the Middle East. The British initiative is seen as an attempt to hold regular consultations on the Middle East within the WEU Council in order to establish the principle of compulsory prior consultations on specific subjects, a principle rejected by France at the ministerial meeting in Luxembourg.