RESTRICTED
HRK 121/616
2400T
рет
་་་
ROCINTHY
r. Tuken
TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 240 OF 21 OCTOBER 1977, R FI IMMEDIATE
TOKYO AND PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS.
RENEWAL OF MULTI FIBRE ARRANGEMENT.
Me Too!
k
2600
1. THE VICE MINISTER AT THE MFA ASKED ME TO CALL YESTERDAY AFTERNOON 23 OCTOBER, I HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DISCOVER IN ADVANCE WHAT SUBJECT HE WANTED TO RAISE BUT IT TURNED OUT THAT HE WANTED
TO DISCUSS THE FORTHCOMING NEGOTIATIONS IN BRUSSELS ABOUT TEX-
TILE IMPORTS INTO THE EEC.
2. THE MINISTER SAID THAT, IN THE LIGHT OF WHAT HIS GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN TOLD BY TRAN VAN THINH DURING HIS VISIT IN AUGUST, THEY WERE GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THEY UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE LINE WHICH THE COMMISSION WOULD TAKE. HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STRENGTH OF HIS GOVERNMENT'S FEELING WAS FULLY APPREC-
IATED.
3. THE MINISTER SAID THAT HE WANTED TO URGE THAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD ADOPT A MUCH MORE ACCOMMODATING ATTITUDE BECAUSE KOREA
WAS HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON TEXTILES TO MAINTAIN HER PRESENT LEVEL OF COMMODITY EXPORTS. THE GOVERNMENT HAD INSTRUCTED THE INDUSTRY TO CUTBACK ON THEIR PLANS FOR FUTURE EXPANSION, BUT IF THE COMM-- UNITY'S PROPOSALS WERE TO PREVAIL IT WAS LIKELY THAT A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE NOW IN EMPLOYMENT WOULD BE PUT OUT OF WORK. THIS COULD HAVE SERIOUS SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES.
4. DRAWING ON THE ENCLOSURES TO EID (EXTERNAL) LETTER TO DELHI MKE 131/616/1 OF 22 AUGUSTI POINTED CUT THAT DURING THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND JOBS HAD BEEN LOST BECAUSE OF THE INROADS MADE BY TEXTILES FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES INTO THE COMMUNITY'S MARKETS. I EMPHASISED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE
RESTRICTED
/FOR US TO