Registry
Jo.
CURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted,
Unclassified.
IVACY MARKING
.................................................................In Confidence
DRAFT
To:-
The Rt Hon Edmund Dell MP
Department of Trade
1 Victoria Street SW1
Type 1 +
From
MR JUDD
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
DSRIT
UK/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES
Thank you for your letter of 26 July. I note that you
do not intend to enter into any final agreement with the
Australians until the ASEAN countries have been consulted and
that you will ensure that the Australians are aware that the
discussions are being held on this basis. But I hope your
team will be instructed to stick very firmly to the terms
of the written Statement of the UK position which we agreed
and which has now been telegraphed to Canberra for trans-
mission to the Australians. As we have both recognised, we
need to preserve the ability to retreat if the reaction of
the third countries is tough and if they gang up to block
the scheme. It is also most important not to give third
countries the impression in the meantime that we are ganging
up with the Australians against them. I therefore hope that
the team will make it absolutely clear to the Australians
that the discussions are held on the basis of the Statement
rather than on the basis you describe.
Od 108087 400M S&K 1/77