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He said that the next ICG meeting was scheduled in Ottawa in the spring, but no dates had yet been fixed. The Ambassador commented that the present ICG arrangements suited us well. Observer status did not offend us.
7. Mr Moore referred to his visit to Hong Kong last year, when he called on the Governor. Sir D Wilson had asked him to consider taking more P6 cases. Mr Moore said that entry under this category was also affected by the American budget problem. The Hong Kong case was not helped by the reduction in the number of refugees from Hong Kong taken by the United Kingdom, which had fallen by 50% over three years. Nevertheless he was trying to see what could be done on P6s; it would be some time before decisions could be taken.
Vietnam
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Mr Moore referred to the discussions with UNHCR, Mr Hocké's visit to Hanoi and his subsequent suggestion of aid to the Vietnamese to help unlock the issue of repatriation. Some progress had been made in the time between Mr Hocké's paper and the ICG response last October, but the question of aid to Vietnam was difficult. The USA would need to be convinced. There was little real sign that the Vietnamese themselves would move soon on the question of repatriation.
Afghanistan
9. Mr Moore said he would talk to Mr Hocké about UNHCR interest in Afghanistan. It was not a question of the US Mr Moore said he was vetoing a technical visit by UNHCR. agnostic on the chances of success at the next round of proximity talks in Geneva. A great deal of preparatory work had still to be done; thought had to be given to the role various agencies should play and how resettlement and rehabil itation could be carried out. UNHCR visit to Afghanistan would have to be properly timed. He was pleased, however, that the idea now being considered was more modest than earlier proposals. He also accepted that UNHCR would be properly criticised if preparatory work had not been done, if and when refugees started returning to Afghanistan.
Mr Hocké
10. Mr Moore asked the Ambassador for our views on Mr Hocké and his performance. The Ambassador said he had always been a supporter of Mr Hocké. His previous work in ICRC was very different from UNHCR, where diplomacy was called for.
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