*.
CONFIDENTIAL
MKD 243/5
PA 24315
160
Mr Colvin
Mr McLaren
EC/VIETNAM
FROM: DATE:
CC:
A Godson, SEAD
16 September 1988
Mr Gore-Booth, Policy
Planning Staff
Miss Spencer, ECD (E)
Mr Hum, HKD
Miss Slatter
Mr Hun
Mr for Me?
1. I understand that Mr Gore-Booth will be visiting East Berlin next week for planning talks and has asked for our current line on EC/Vietnam relations.
2. The subject does not appear to have been discussed at the Asia Working Group on 13 September (M. Martin was not present after all), and we are unsure when it will next be raised in COREPER (Miss Spencer's minute of 8 September attached). For the time being, therefore, our position remains that whilst we see no objection in principle to the establishment of EC/Vietnam relations, we see no reason to hurry either.
3. My own view is that unless we become completely isolated within the Twelve we should continue to maintain this line. Mr McLaren pointed out to M. Martin that our policy has been formulated largely in response to ASEAN pressure.
This pressure remains and a change in our policy now, as we approach the annual debate on Cambodia at the UN, would not be understood by ASEAN. We would also come in for stick from the Americans. Moreover, M. Martin's argument that we should relax our policy on the grounds of Vietnamese goodwill over Cambodia is questionable. Apart from the fact that the judgement of goodwill in this context is itself a political one, Vietnam has still got a long way to come on the Cambodia issue. Any movement they have made so far is entirely self-serving.
4.
A further consideration is whether we wish to send this kind of positive signal to the Vietnamese so soon after the expulsion of one of their diplomats. Mr McLaren has also commented elsewhere that we may wish to continue going slow on the question of relations with the Commission as a means of putting a little additional pressure on the Vietnamese over the boat people.
Again
A Godson
CONFIDENTIAL