CONFIDENTIAL
IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE FIVE ASEAN COUNTRIES WERE INVITED TO CANBERRA NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN REAL NEGOTIATIONS BUT TO GO THROG
THE MOTIONS OF A NEGOTIATION.
IT IS NOT THE NORMAL PRACTICE OF ASEAN COUNTRIES TO PARTICIPATE IN NEGOTIATIONS IN THIS MANNER:
IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT, ON BEHLAF OF ASEAN, AND IN THE INTEREST OF THE GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ASEAN AND AUSTRALIA, I STRONGLY APPEAL TO YOUR EXCELLENCY TO PERSUADE YOUR GOVERNMENT TO DEFER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHEAP FARE SCHEME TO ALLOW TIME FOR GENUINE NEGOTIATIONS. SHOULD THIS PROVE TO BE ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE, THEN IT IS OUR SINCERE HOPE THAT AT LEAST
· OTHER AIRLINES BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE END TO END TRAFFIC AS AT PRESENT UNTIL A MUTUALLY SATISFACTORY AGREE-
MENT IS REACHED.
WE SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT MORE THAN MERE CIVIL AVIATION
QUESTIONS ARE INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE AND THAT YOUR EXCELLENCY, AS FOREIGN MINISTER, ARE WELL AWARE WHY GOOD AND SOUND RELATIONS BETWEEN ASEAN AND AUSTRALIA ARE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO COPE WITH THE MANY MORE CRUCIAL CHALLENGES CONFRONTING US IN A
RAPIDLY CHANGING ASIA.
THERE SHOULD BE NO MISAPPREHENSION AS TO ASEAN SOLIDARITY IN
THIS MATTER.
WE THEREFORE HOPE THAT AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WILL GIVE OUR REQUEST THE FULLEST CONSIDERATION IT DESERVES..
ENDS
TEBBIT
[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]
FILES
MAED
COPIES TO:
MR. RUMBELOW
DOT
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT
SPD
HK & GD (6)
SEAD
NEWS D
OID
MR. BUTLER MISS BROWN MR.MURRAY
2
CONFIDENTIAL