At the 410th meeting of the Council of Western European Union (WEU), held at ministerial level on 11 January 1971 in Luxembourg, the delegations discuss the Soviet presence in the Mediterranean. Geoffrey Rippon, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, emphasises that the British Government is very concerned by the growing presence of Soviet naval forces in the Mediterranean. It considers the situation to be serious and believes that it would be worthwhile for the Member States of the Council to continue to hold consultations on this matter. However, the French State Secretary in the Foreign Ministry, Jean de Lipkowski, does not think that the Soviet presence in North Africa represents as much of a threat to Western positions as generally believed, despite the fact that Algeria serves as an anchor point for the Soviet penetration policy. France does not see the Soviet Union in North Africa as an adversary but rather as a competitor seeking to impose its experts, products and techniques.