On 13 October 1978, the Secretary-General of Western European Union (WEU) circulates the WEU Council’s reply to Assembly Recommendation 313 on security in the Mediterranean. The Council welcomes the call for more public support by the members of the Atlantic Alliance for the arrangements made in the Mediterranean, and for assurance of their participation in exercises and contingency planning. It points out that command arrangements are primarily a matter for NATO. The text notes the commitment of some non-Mediterranean countries (the United Kingdom, the FRG and the Netherlands) in these exercises and particularly mentions the strengthening of France’s naval forces in the area. Finally, the Council believes that the increase in Soviet forces in the Mediterranean or the establishment of new facilities for them in the area would be harmful to peace.