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4. FOR SINGAPORE. IF, AS WE UNDERSTAND, THERE IS TO BE A FURTHER MEETING BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND SINGAPORE COMMENCING
16 JANUARY IT MAY BE PREFERABLE EITHER TO DEFER ROGERS' VISIT TO SINGAPORE UNTIL LATER IN THE PROGRAMME, OR FOR HIM TO PAY ONLY A SHORT COURTESY CALL IN SINGAPORE ON HIS WAY THROUGH TO CANBERRA, A FURTHER MEETING IN SINGAPORE WOULD THEN BE FITTED IN TO THE SUBSEQUENT PROGRAMME AS APPROPRIATE. THERE MAY IN ANY EVENT BE A NEED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH SINGAPORE (AS WELL AS WITH THE OTHER ASEAN STATES) ON SECTOR FARES AND STOPOVER FARES FOLLOWING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE AUSTRALIANS IN CANBERRA.
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5. FOR CANBERRA. IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH ROGERS LAST NOVEMBER, LAKER REQUESTED THAT HIS AIRLINE SHOULD BE REPRESENTED AT THE NEXT ROUND OF TALKS BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS. WE IMAGINE THAT ESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF THEIR ACRIMONIOUS EXCHANGES WITL LAKER SINCE MR NIXON MADE HIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN OCTOBER, THE AUSTRALIANS WOULD BE EVEN MORE STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THIS THAN WHEN WE PROPOSED TO INVITE LAKER TO JOIN IN THE DISCUSSIONS IN CANBERRA IN AUGUST. MATTERS ARE FURTHER COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT NOW HAS BEFORE IT A FORMAL APPLICATION BY LAKER TO WHICH SO FAR AS WE KNOW IT HAS NOT YET RESPONDED. GRATEFUL HOWEVER YOU CONFIRM POSITION WITH AUSTRALIAN DOT.
6. FOR HONG KONG. TALKS IN CANBERRA ARE INTENDED TO COVER ALL OUTSTANDING ITEMS ON THE AUSTRALIAN PROPOSALS AND ROGERS WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVES COULD ARRANGE TO ARRIVE NOT LATER THAN 23 JANUARY. TALKS IN SINGAPORE AND BANGKOK WILL BE CONFINED TO TRUNK ROUTE PROBLEMS AND ROGERS PLANS TO KEEP THEM AS INFORMAL AS POSSIBLE. HONG KONG REPRESENTATION WILL NOT THEREFORE BE NEEDED. TALKS IN WELLINGTON ARE ALSO LIKELY TO BE MAINLY CONCERNED WITH THE TRUNK ROUTE AND FARES: AND THESE ALSO ARE LIKELY TO BE INFORMAL. HOWEVER, PENDING FURTHER ADVICE FROM WELLINGTON GRATEFUL IF HONG KONG WILL MAKE PROVISIONAL ARRANGE- MENTS FOR REPRESENTATIVES TO BE AVAILABLE IN WELLINGTON DURING WEEK COMMCENCING 29 JANUARY. BRIEFING MEETING FOR MALAYSIAN TALKS WILL PROBABLY BE IN KUALA LUMPUR ON SUNDAY 4 FEBRUARY.
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17. FOR