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CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM F C 0 021845Z FEB 79
TO PRIORITY CANBERRA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 62 OF 2 FEBRUARY
No
INFO PRIORITY SINGAPORE, JAKARTA, MANILA, BANGKOK, S 100 KUALA LUMPUR, HONG KONG (GOVERNOR AND BCARFE)
INFO ROUTINE WELLINGTON.
10 YOUR TELNO 67 (PARAGRAPH 3): UK/AUSTRALIAN AIR SERVICES.
19
1. WE SEE THE FORCE IN YOUR ARGUMENTS FOR JOINING IN THE
NEGOTIATIONS ON A MATTER IN WHICH WE HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST.
BUT IF WE WERE PRESENT WE ARE DOUBTFUL WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO BE AN SQUOTE HONEST BROKER UNQUOTE. WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE CLEAR OUR OWN POSITION THEREBY INEVITABLY DISAPPOINTING AT LEAST ONE OF THE OTHER TWO PARTIES (AS WAS RECOGNISED IN SINGAPORE TELNO 56).
2. BY AGREEMENT, THE AUSTRALIANS HAVE SO FAR TAKEN THE LEAD IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH ASEAN ON THE ISSUE. WE PREFER TO REGARD THE PROPOS-
ED MEETING AS THE LATEST STAGE IN A SERIES. IF WE NOW JOINED IN
THERE WOULD BE A RISK THAT WE WOULD BE REGARDED BY ASEAN AS
GANGING UP WITH THE AUSTRALIANS AGAINST THEM. INCIDENTALLY, DO THE
AUSTRALIANS YET KNOW WHETHER THE ASEAN COUNTRIES ACCEPT THE
AUSTRALIAN'S PROPOSAL FOR A MEETING?
3. WE WOULD THEREFORE LIKE YOU TO TELL THE AUSTRALIANS THAT WE
THINK THEY SHOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE THE LEAD. IN THE LIGHT OF THE
OUTCOME OF THE NEXT ROUND WITH ASEAN WE CAN BOTH CONSIDER HOW BEST
TO HELP MATTERS ALONG.
OWEN
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MR BRYANT?
MR. RUMBELOW
нкаад
MISS BROWN MR MURRAY
CONFIDENTIAL
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