HICK 6/2009/1-
TORİTY' BRUSSELS --
TELEGRAM NO. 11
العمر احمد
CONFIDENTIAL
NEUTRAL/
TO
HONG KONG
15 MAY 1975
Кри
X/pu 15/5
4
ADDRESSED TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 11 OF 15 MAY 1970 AND REL PRIORITY TO UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JORDAN).
FROM DODGE:
RECLIVED M. REGISTRY No.
RECEIVED IN
ROCKSTRY No.31
HK/GERMAN COTTON TEXTILES AGREEMENT
DORWARD'S LETTER OF 5 MAY REFERS.
18 MAY 1970
Ikky
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HILK6/209/1
1 SOUNDED OUT ERNST AS YOU SUGGESTED ON THE QUESTION OF A THREE-MONTH EXTENSION OF OUR ARTICLE 4 AGREEMENT WITH THE GERMANS UNTIL THE END OF 1970, STRESSING THE NEED TO AVOID ANY UN- CERTAINTY IN THE TRADE. ERNST AGREED ON THE LATTER CONCEPT BUT REGRETTABLY HE HAS DONE NOTHING POSITIVE ABOUT YOUR ACTUAL MARCH 23 SUGGESTION. THIS INACTION SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN QUITE DELIBERATE.
2.
+
ERNST NOW SUGGESTS EARLY SUBSTANTIVE NEGOTIATIONS WITH US
WHICH,
HE CLAIMS, WOULD OBVIATE THE NEED FOR SUCH AN EXTENSION. HE FIRST PROPOSED, WITH WHAT HE LATER ADMITTED WAS EXAGGERATED OPTIMISM, THAT THE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH US NEED ONLY TAKE (UNDERLINE NEXT WORD) ONE DAY AND COULD TAKE PLACE IN GENEVA IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CTC: HE WOULD BE ATTENDING IT WITH ALL THE NECESSARY FACTS AND FIGURES. I POURED VERY COLD WATER INDEED ON SUCH ERNSTERY. LESS EXCITEDLY HE WAS OF THE OPINION THAT AGREEMENT COULD STILL WELL BE REACHED BEFORE THE SUMMER RECESS, IMPLYING THAT IT WAS ONLY OUR NON-ACCEPTANCE OF HIS TERMS THAT WAS DELAYING MATTERS. AS FAR AS HE IS CONCERNED THAT MEANS BY MID-JULY: SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS COULD NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL MID-SEPTEMBER OR EVEN LATER. BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE SUMMER RECESS ERNST HAS MANY COMMITMENTS. I AM SURE THAT ERNST IS DELIBERATLEY TRYING TO RAILROAD US INTO SOME HASTY SCHEDULE OR HOPEFULLY EVEN AGREEMENT IN OUR EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE CONTINUITY OF OUR GERMAN TRADE.
3.
ALTHOUGH HE QUICKLY ABANDONED HIS AIRY SUGGESTION THAT HEGOTIAT- IONS MIGHT BE WOUND UP IN GENEVA CONCURRENTLY WITH THE NEXT CTC ROUND ON 25/26 MAY, OR IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER, HE STILL HAD IN HIND SOMETHING KORE THAN A MERE FIXING OF A TIME-TABLE ON THAT OCCASION, 1.E. SOME FURTHER SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION ON THE MAJOR AREAS OF
REF..
NEWE
RET.
CONFIDENTIAL
/CURRENTLY
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