}
DSR 11C
CONFIDENT1 AL
special interest groups such as those listed in Annex and public opinion
more widely. Here too a decision to leave would be seen as a sign of
insularity and of lack of interest in the Third World, and quite possibly.
as far as the white Commonwealth was concerned, as a betrayal of friends.
There might be a problem over the position of The Queen.
20. To leave the Commonwealth would not therefore be a sensible course.
But it will not disappear: we must accept that it is here to stay, and
that we shall continue to be, and to be expected to ue, an important part
of it. The logical conclusion of this, and of the fact that apparent
neglect of the Commonwealth can, and has, damaged our interests in count-
ries that matter to us, is that we should take the Commonwealth more
this
seriously. But/inevitably means more money and more time, including
more Ministers' time. Both are in short supply. We must accept that
we do not, for the moment, have the resources available to enable us to
make the kind of contribution to the Commonwealth that would yield good
returns.
21.
This points towards a strategy which, within our means, makes the
most of the Commonwealth's advantages but tries to minimize the disad-
vantages, and in particular to avoid as far as possible the adoption of
policies which will harm our relations with Commonwealth countries.
We also need a more positive and sympathetic approach to the Commonwealth
than we have adopted in recent years.
i to cover the neprom
IV A
22.
Our strategy might be:
(i) to make clear our commitment to the Commonwealth, but to make clear
also that the touchstone of this commitment is the strength of our si-
lateral relations with Commonwealth countries;
(ii) to build on our traditional links with Commonwealth countries in
areas where we can provide, relatively painlessly and uncontroversially,
things they want and like, such as cultural
(
scientific ex-
changes, though we should clearly not expect too much from this:
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$4200(22454) DD.0532198 300M 7/79 GWB LTD GP.870
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