On 24 May 1972, the Secretary-General of Western European Union (WEU) circulates the WEU Council’s final reply to Assembly Recommendation 216 on the political implications of the European Security Conference. The Council welcomes the recent progress in the development of East–West relations and sees the security conference as an opportunity to further promote peace in Europe, provided the Western countries maintain close cooperation, hold regular consultations and prepare for the conference properly in order to improve confidence between the two blocs.