CONFIDENTIAL
117574
MDHIAN052
L
CONSIDER THIS A SENSIBLE COUNTER OFFER. RATHER THAN REPLY IN KIND AND MOVE SIMILARLY BY ONLY A FEW DOLLARS AT A TIME AND TAKE FOREVER TO MEET HALF WAY, I SAID CLEARLY THAT IN THE INTERESTS OF REACHING A SPEEDY AGREEMENT SO AS TO GET THE FIRST BATCH BACK I WOULD, AS I HAD HINTED TO PHUONG, OFFER 600 DOLLARS ON THE CONDITION THAT SUCH AN OFFER WOULD BE NON-NEGOTIABLE AND DEPENDENT ON EARLY AGREEMENT. CHUONG DITHERED AND CAME DOWN TO 679 DOLLARS. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT LUC INTERVENED AND SAID THAT WE SHOULD FURTHER REFER THE MATTER
TO OUR SUPERIORS. HE PROMISED A QUICK ANSWER.
4 =
I THEN PRESENTED A REVISED VERSION OF THE ''AGREED MINUTE''
IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE INCORPORATING THE AMENDMENTS IN TUR 246 OF 12 JULY. CHUONG LED AGAIN FOR THE VIETNAMESE AND, ON A POINT OF SUBSTANCE, REOPENED THE DISCUSSION ON PARAGRAPH B.
HE WANTED TO SPECIFY THE TIMING OF OUR PAYMENTS ALTHOUGH HE COULD NOT DECIDE WHETHER IT SHOULD BE EVERY 3 MONTHS BEFORE EACH FLIGHT OR SOME OTHER FORMULA. I SAID THAT WE HAD YET TO DECIDE WHAT SYSTEM WOULD BE MOST CONVENIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE FOR BOTH SIDES BUT FOR THE TIME BEING ALL WE NEEDED TO AGREE UPON WAS THE GENERAL PRINCIPLE. VIETNAM WOULD CERTAINLY GET ITS MONEY EXCLAMATION.
I NOW ASSUME FROM HONG KONG'S LATEST THAT IF NECESSARY YOU WOULD PREFER TO SPECIFY THAT THE MONEY SHOULD BE PAID ON A PER CAPITA BASIS
BEFORE EACH FLIGHT.
5. I SAID THAT IF WE BEEFED UP THIS SENTENCE WE WOULD NEED TO DO THE SAME TO THE FOLLOWING ABOUT ACCOUNTS SAYING THAT WE WOULD WISH TO FOLLOW THE UNHCR MODEL. (I HAVE SPOKEN INFORMALLY TO THE UNHCR REP WHO HAS ALREADY GIVEN ME SOME INFORMATION AND PROMISED ME MORE ABOUT HOW THEY GO ABOUT THINGS). CHUONG WANTED US TO ACCEPT THAT THE VIETNAMESE WOULD 'REPORT ON'' HOW THE MONEY WAS SPENT BUT NOT PROMISE TO PRESENT ACCOUNTS WHICH IT COULD NOT DELIVER. AGAIN LUC
INTERVENED AND WE LEFT IT AT THAT.
6.
AS TO THE REST OF THE 'AGREED MINUTE'' AND BASED ON THE REMAINDER OF MY DISCUSSION WITH THE VIETNAMESE YESTERDAY I HAVE THE
FOLLOWING COMMENTS:
(A) LET US, IF NECESSARY, DROP THE WORDS ''BOAT PEOPLE'
(B)
I OF COURSE ACCEPT YOUR REASONING ABOUT THE CONCEPT ''ARRANGEMENTS'' BEING SUBSTITUTED FOR ''AGREEMENT'' OR SIMILAR LANGUAGE WITH RESPECT TO THE 26 JUNE DOCUMENT AND THE CONTENTS OF PARAGRAPHS A) AND B) OF THE ''AGREED MINUTE AND I THINK THAT THE VIETNAMESE MIGHT ACCEPT THE CHANGE WITH
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