Sh
MXD 094/332/1
RT Fell Esq HANOI
CONFIDENTIAL
#k* 2*3 BALETID IN
203/18
INCES
1669
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- 7 SEP 1979
SK OPT
London SW1A 2AH
5 September 1979
PA. PW 2/4 (refingers)
Mr backs 3/4
My Williamson 07.9
Δ
Dear Fell
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COMMUNITY FOOD AID TO VIETNAM
1.
On my return from,leave I have seen your letter of 7 August to Stitt about Vietnamese refusal to unload a cargo of Community food aid.
2. You are right in assuming that the arrival of this cargo was not inconsistent with the Community's suspension of the 1979 food aid programme. This cargo in fact was part of the Community's 1978 programme, which of course was not suspended.
3. Had we known that this cargo was about to arrive at Haiphong we might have had something to say about it when suspension of the 1979 programme was discussed in Brussels. In fact the first we knew of it was when Commissioner Cheysson mentioned this cargo in COREPER on 11 July.
4. It is not altogether clear what subsequently happened to the cargo.
On 30 July the Commission sent a message through us to Hong Kong (UKREP telno 3 to Hong Kong) to say that a Commission representative was being sent immediately to Hong Kong to take charge of the cargo and that his first priority would be to make over to the UNHCR the maximum amount possible for the immediate use of refugees in Hong Kong and Macao. We do not know if these sensible instructions were implemented (perhaps Orr in Hong Kong can throw some light on this); nor under what authority the Commission decided to divert this cargo for the use of the refugees (as you know, we have had considerable difficulty in persuading the Community that the suspended 1979 Vietnam food aid programme should be diverted in this way).
5. The Vietnamese attitude to this aid cargo will be a factor to be taken into account when the Community return to the question of what should be done about its 1979 Vietnam programme following Waldheim's report to the General Assembly on the refugee question later this month. We are most reluctant as it is to envisage resumption of this programme and resumption would make little sense if the aid then shipped would not even be welcomed by the Vietnamese themselves. But we may come under considerable pressure to agree to at least partial resumption. Any views you and your Community colleagues in Hanoi may have on the subject would be of interest.
Your ever, hile Fighterbert
CONFIDENTIAL
G E FitzHerbert European Integration Department (External)
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