On 13 February 1957, following a meeting with John Selwyn Lloyd, British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Jean Chauvel, French Ambassador to London, sends a telegram to French Foreign Minister Christian Pineau in which he informs him of the United Kingdom’s plan to reduce its troops stationed in Germany. According to John Selwyn Lloyd, the British Government hopes its partners will understand; should they disagree, it could lead to major difficulties. In return for these force reductions, the British Government proposes measures to integrate the forces of Western European Union (WEU) and reiterates its idea to turn this organisation into a ‘genuine alliance’.