### Clue: Understanding directions about shelter put up in centre (7,8)
### Answer: ENTENTE CORDIALE 
 ### Explanation: Definition: Understanding
 E,NE(abbrev. for the directions "east" and "north-east", respectively) **containing**(about) TENT(a portable cloth shelter) + [**reversal of**(… up, in a down clue) LAID(put on/placed on) **contained in**(in) CORE(the centre/heart of something)].