CODE 18-77
Mrs Priest, HKD
ANDORRA
SECRET covering CONFIDENTIAL
Reference
262
HKR040/5.
REC.
SO AUG 1983
DESK OFFICER
4031028
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RECEIVE
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CH2319
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1. Your minute of 19 August to Mrs Gillon refers. outline of Andorra's constitutional position and administrative arrangements, based on a paper agreed between SED and HM Consul General, Barcelona in 1980, and updated from material to hand.
The
2. You will note (para 4 of attached paper) that Andorra has only very recently acquired a democratic government. reforms of 1981 appear to be a response to growing Andorran nationalism, which is itself complicated by Spain's increasing unwillingness to play second fiddle to France in the control of Andorran affairs. Spanish and French rivalry may eventually play into the hands of Andorran nationalists, in that both countries might prefer to grant wider powers of self-government to the Andorrans, than to satisfy their opposite numbers aspirations.
3. The advent of an Andorran "government" has let to what may turn out to be a campaign by Andorra to gain greater international recognition. In February this year the Principality submitted a petition to join the ITU. The attempt failed, but caused headaches for a number of governments whose support was lobbied by Andorra, including HMG. The ITU case raised the thorny problem of whether or not Andorra should be recognised as a sovereign state, and the Conseil Général des Vallées as a government, for the purpose of joining such organisations. was particularly concerned that membership of the ITU might be used as a precedent by Andorra to gain access to similar bodies.
HMG
4. As far as Andorra providing a model for Hong Kong is concerned you should know that it has regularly been canvassed as a possible solution to Gibraltar but equally regularly dismissed. The major problem is that Andorra is essentially a medieval regime which has not (yet) had to adapt itself to the modern world. It was born in entirely different circumstances and its physical isolation made its continuance possible. The fact that, for most of its history, the French co-prince has been so very much more powerful than his Spanish counterpart has also been a factor favouring stability. It is, in short, a unique historical anachronism.
5.
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Should you require more detailed and up-to-date information on Andorra particularly regarding the recent reforms, we will try to help from the limited information available here but it might be as well to try posts (ie. Paris, Madrid and/or Barcelona).
24 August 1983
Helen Boreland
H Boreland (Miss) Research Department 273-4170
cc; Mr Thomas, SED, Mr Burrows, Legal Advisers, Mr Walker, RD
SEC CT covering CONFIDENTIAL