On 18 October 1973, in view of the Yom Kippur War between Israel and the Egyptian and Syrian armies, the Presidential Committee, steering body of the Assembly of Western European Union (WEU), adopts a draft Recommendation as a matter of urgency on behalf of the Plenary Assembly on the resumption of hostilities in the Near East. The Recommendation sets out the Assembly’s concerns about the consequences of the conflict for the security of Europe, since it creates an unstable situation in the immediate proximity of Europe and affords the Soviet Union the possibility of extending its influence in the area, exposing the Mediterranean countries to greater threat. The Assembly calls for an urgent meeting of the WEU Council at ministerial level to examine the measures which should be taken to ensure the security of Europe and determine the means of a applying an embargo on supplies of arms to the belligerents.