APARTHEID: South Africa Agrees to Talks : S. Africa OKs Talks With 3 Europe Officials

The South African government agreed Friday to hold talks with three European foreign ministers to discuss concerns over 10 months of racial violence that has killed about 500 people.

The move follows the European Economic Community’s decision to recall all its ambassadors for consultation, an action that was joined Friday by Australia as a “gesture of protest” against apartheid.

Dutch Ambassador Hugo Carstens requested the visit last Thursday on behalf of 10 Common Market nations and Spain and Portugal.

The delegation will include Dutch Foreign Minister Hans van den Broek, Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Andreotti and the Luxembourg foreign minister. The ministers have expressed concern with escalating violence and a state of emergency introduced by South Africa on July 21.

Conditions Set

A South African Foreign Ministry spokesman said the country would welcome the Dutch, Italian and Luxembourg representatives, but only under limited conditions.

“The South African government would welcome a visit by the three ministers for discussions with it on the basis that such a visit does not imply any right to interfere in South Africa’s internal affairs and on the assumption that the 10 are genuinely interested in ascertaining the true facts,” he said.

The Common Market foreign ministers met in Helsinki lastThursday to discuss ways of pressuring South Africa to end apartheid, its official policy of racial segregation.

France withdrew its ambassador from South Africa two weeks ago and announced a ban on new investment, but the ministers failed to agree on joint sanctions at the meeting.

‘Strong Condemnation’

They reiterated the Common Market’s “strong condemnation” of the Pretoria government’s state of emergency, under which more than 1,250 blacks have been jailed without charges.

The ministers also condemned the government’s refusal to hold talks with Bishop Desmond Tutu and urged it to “open a dialogue with all the representatives of the black community.”

The ministers’ visit will take place amid growing political sentiment in the United States for economic sanctions against South Africa.

The House of Representatives week before last passed by a vote of 380 to 48 legislation calling for sanctions. Senate action was delayed until next month when Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) threatened a filibuster.