770 



With regard to attitudes of governments: 



1. The fewer the number of countries involved in 

 cooperation, the easier the arrangements. Accordingly, 

 cooperation among two or a very limited number of 

 countries is the easiest to organise, and can be 

 started and led by one country raising the issue 

 bilaterally. However, that requires individual 

 countries to take the initiative in exploration 



of possible interest among potential partners. 

 That obviously does happen, but it is difficult 

 for a country to make many such initiatives on its 

 own. Thus, by this procedure, there is no assurance 

 that the scope of possibilities outlined above, 

 will be surfaced or survsyed. 



2. In general, whenever possible, governments and 

 their technical agencies prefer to operate international 

 cooperative programmes through direct contacts with 

 their counterparts in other governments, withouf 

 intervention of international organisations. 



3. Each country is different in its structure, 

 internal processes, priorities, distribution of 

 scientific and technological resources, and 

 commitments to multinational organisations or 

 existing international cooperative programmes: 



As a result, the authority for an overall examination 



within a country for new prospects for cooperation 



must come from a central point; hence the appropriateness 



of consideration by the ministers of science. 



