CONFIDENTIAL
Mu. Upon 15ly 26 Mu. Donnid ( on 8 Sept)
To wire
Пи миллати
Mr
Murpay
HONG KONG: PROPOSED VISIT BY SOVIET RESEARCH VESSEL
PROBLEM
борь
miuts and
to proceed
accrdingly.!
Huik Food-
1. The Russians have requested permission for the Soviet research vessel "Dimitriy Mendeleev" to visit Hong Kong from 31 October
3 November.
BACKGROUND
with (6)2.
Flag
we might reult.k.
what une are doing. Tim
šla
The present request, conveyed by the Soviet Embassy in their Note of 5 August, is similar to that made in June last year in respect of the same ship. Following Mr Janvrin's submission of 28 June 1976, which gives further relevant background, the Soviet lag D request was refused and the Embassy informed that "for administrative
Flag Flag
the
въвто
Obw reasons" it was "not convenient" for the "Dimitriy Mendeleev" to
visit Hong Kong.
t
3. As before, the Soviet authorities appear to be attempting to gain support for their request by approaches to the Royal Society.
Flag
E On July 11 Dr Stoker, the Royal Society's Foreign Secretary, wrote
to the Head of M&GD enclosing copies of letters that two members of the Society had received from the Chairman of the National Committee of Soviet Oceanographers and asking how they might reply to Soviet enquiries as to why their research vessels are not allowed into Hong Kong. Mr Stewart gave Dr Stoker orally some of the background to our policy on such visits and followed up with a written reply on 27 July. The Royal Society replied querying one point in Mr Stewart's letter and, following a further telephone call, Mr Stewart wrote to the Society's Executive Secretary on 25 August.
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16
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(2+)
ARGUMENT
4.
Our policy with regard to requests from nationals of Warsaw Pact Flag I countries to visit Hong Kong is set out in Office Circular "0" 14/74
of 22 January 1974 and there are good reasons why the latest Soviet request should be refused:-
Attached for easy References
(a) the proposed visit by the "Dimitriy Mendeleev" is almost certainly a Soviet ploy. The vessel's stated task is
CONFIDENTIAL
/to