(17865) Dd.145178 400m 5/73 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
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territories for which you are responsible the pushin
will start sooner rather than later. We should be ber
advised to act ahead of events; though in territories
where there may be important seabed resources we
should commission up-to-date survey information before
taking a final decision on independence.
The
territories where we may have to accept association
with a third power (rather than independence) are
Gibraltar with Spain (independence ruled out by Treaty
-Subjur to safeguarding the essential defence facilitions-
of Utrecht) and the Falkland Islands with Argentina.
t)/al
We may also find it desirable to encourage the British
Virgin Islands to seek association with the US, and
the Turks and Caicos Islands with either the US or the
Bahamas.
3.
Financial Considerations/Aid Policy. At this tim
of financial stringency there may be opposition to a
policy of improving social and economic standards to a
level which certain territories cannot maintain out of
their own resources. But we need to remember that:
(i) some territories (eg St Helena and certain
Caribbean and Pacific islands) just are not
(ii)
(iii)
'economically viable'.
some other territories may become
'economically viable' in due course, but maj
require budgetary aid for a while after
independence, and indeed may not accent
accelerated independence without a prenise of
such aid.
we are not suggesting 'higher standards for
all territories' - only for those in which
the terri' ory-by-territory studies to be mod
in 197 show this to be desirable.
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