Rxpu
(36
31
Mr Martin
(PS/Mr Rowlands)
CONFIDENTIAL
HKC 023/2
RECEIVER
23 FEB 1978
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
N. J.J.
BRITAIN'S OTHER FOREIGN POLICY
NO. 51
་ ་
; REGISTRY
Action Take!
ве
Jeels
Thank you for your minute of 17 February, enclosing the notes of Mr Rowlands' talk. I agree that our policy in this area is hampered by public ignorance, and that accordingly a full-scale speech on the subject, preferably to a British audience, would be useful. The general point
is worth emphasising that there is a difference between foreign policy and diplomacy: the first is about what is to be done, the second about how it is to be done. There is everything to be said for public discussion of aspects of our foreign policy. But diplomacy must in the nature of things be conducted away from the public eye if it is to be successful in securing our foreign policy objectives. If this distinction had been understood, and the main features of our policy towards Belize more publicised, our necessarily confidential diplomacy might have been far less controversial.
2.
One particular difficulty arises over public discussion of the Belize-Gibraltar-Falkland Islands complex, where we are obliged to give the local inhabitants a veto right over proposals for their future. I doubt if anything we say will change this obligation. If that is so, we need to build up the trust of the Belizeans etc. It may therefore not be useful to ask (at the top of page 4 of the notes) whether the wishes of people should always be paramount. This could sow mistrust. Instead, our aim should be the lesser one of ensuring greater public comprehension in this country for policies working towards compromises which would eventually become acceptable to the peoples concerned. It might also be useful to underline the contradiction between wishing to give full internal self-government, which almost inevitably spills over into external relations, and yet maintaining British responsibility for defence, and therefore wanting to avoid provoking an attack.
23 February 1978
cc PS
PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts PS/Mr Luard
PS/PUS
Mr Cortazzi
Is
Commis
J E Cornish Planning Staff
Mr Graham
Mr Stratton
Mr Hall
Mr Posnett
Heads of: MCD, WIAD, PDTD, HKGD News Dept, CCD
CONFIDENTIAL