Mr Chick, SPD
CONFIDENTIAL
HICKO 40/6
RECEIVED IN
24 MAY 1984
90
Am.
Maine
न
5
CC:
Im
·M. Heym
Crows
M. Powell
From:
Date:
M3 3015
т Antony AclandTM 21 May 1984
Private Secretary
PS Mr Rifkind
Sir C Tickell
-Dr Wilson
Mr Burton, LCU Mrs Denza,
Legal Advisers Miss Neville-Jones,
Planning Staf
Mr Clift, HKD
Mr Tait, ERD
LUNCH WITH AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER:
21 MAY 1984
We discussed a whole range of subjects but only the following are worth recording.
1.
A.
B.
Tightening up the Vienna Convention
Mr Parsons said that he was sure that the Australian Government would support action which we might take to improve the observance of the letter and spirit of the Vienna Convention. He thought that we were faced with a fairly long campaign. We needed to create a climate in which diplomatic missions felt that they would not get away with improper activities. Mr Parsons thought that we would need to take some tough action in one or two limited cases. He wondered if we should pick "a weak target", either unlikely to retaliate or where British interests would not suffer if there was retaliation, in order to make an example which would be noted by other offenders.
Security of Small States
The Australians have obviously been giving this matter a certain amount of thought since so many of the small states of the Commonwealth are in their region. I got the impression that the Australians would be prepared to do something and took the view that the sums of money required were not large. They will not, however, act alone, even though they might play a leading role. They would need to be part of a group and Mr Parsons talked of bringing
New Zealand, the United States and Japan into any scheme which may be agreed.
CONFIDENTIAL