GR 320
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT A
FM SEOUL 210655Z
RESTRICTED NEUTRAL
RESTRICTED
FA
1_HKK 121 (616) Jos
2 4 OCT WZ
51
A
TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 241 OF 21 OCTOBER 1977, R F I IMMEDIATE TO TOKYO AND PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS.
MY TELNO 240.
RENEWAL OF THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT.
2591
1. FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE AIDE MEMOIRE GIVEN TO ME BY THE
VICE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON 20 OCTOBER.
BEGINS
WITH REGARD TO THE RENEWAL OF THE PRESENT AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN TEXTILES WHICH IS DUE TO TERMINATE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE KOREAN GOVERNMENT WAS INFORMED THROUGH MR. TRAN VAN THINH, A SENIOR TEXTILE NEGOTIATOR OF THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, ON AUGUST 11, 1977, THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD IMPOSE COMPREHENSIVE RESTRICTIONS ON IMPORTS OF KOREAN TEXTILE PRODUCTS FROM JANUARY 1, 1978 AND CUT BACK THE RESTRAINT BASE LEVELS OF EIGHT HIGHLY SENSITIVE TEXTILE PRODUCTS TO THE IMPORT LEVEL OF 1976.
MOREOVER, THE COMMUNITY HAS REPEATEDLY MADE IT PUBLIC THAT IT WOULD BE OBLIGED TO TAKE UNILATERAL SAFEGUARD MEASURES UNDER ARTICLE 19 OF THE GATT IF ITS PROPOSAL IS NOT ACCEPTED.
IN CONNECTION WITH THE AFORE-KENTIONED COMMUNITY'S POSITION AND THE FORTHCOMING TEXTILE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY TO BE HELD AT BRUSSELS, THE KOREAN GOVERNMENT EXPRESSES ITS POSITION AS FOLLOWS:
1. THE KOREAN GOVERMENT IS READ AND WILLING TO NEGOTIATE
A NEW TEXTILE AGREEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY IN A SPIRIT OF MUTUAL COOPERATION AND IN CONFORMITY WITH THE MFA,
RESTRICTED
/2. THE RESTRAINT