In this interview excerpt, Jean Mischo, a member of the Luxembourg Permanent Representation to the European Communities from 1971 to 1976, discusses the close involvement of Gaston Thorn, Luxembourg Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade from 1974 to 1979, in North–South dialogue. Jean Mischo also describes the negotiations that led to the signing of the first Lomé Convention on 28 February 1975, which provided a framework for trade relations between the nine Member States of the European Economic Community (EEC) and 46 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states. Finally, he recalls the issues surrounding the first trade negotiations between the EEC and the southern Mediterranean states.