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MEANS, GIVEN OUR LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF AND CONTACTS IN THAT AREA IN THE NEAR TERM, ARE REMOTE. WE WOULD STRONGLY PREFER TO WORK THROUGH NGOS. THIS WOULD BE UNDER A SPECIAL FACILITY SET UP OUTSIDE THE JOINT FUNDING SCHEME DEDICATED TO PROJECTS IN AREAS
RECEIVING RETURNING VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. THIS MIGHT BE THE QUICKEST WAY TO BENEFIT THE RELEVANT COMMUNITIES. WE HOPE THAT THE VIETNAMESE WOULD BE READY TO WORK WITH THE NGOS IN THIS WAY. WE NEED VIETNAMESE AGREEMENT BEFORE APPROACHING THE NGO'S TO UNDERTAKE PRELIMINARY STUDIES AND THIS SHOULD BE MADE CLEAR TO THE VIETNAMESE. AS AN INCENTIVE, ODA ARE READY TO PROVIDE UP TO 80 PER CENT OF THE FUNDING INSTEAD OF THE USUAL 50 PER CENT UNDER THE JFS. PROVIDED THAT SUITABLE PROJECTS COULD BE DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SPECIAL FACILITY, WE WOULD ALSO BE READY TO ADD VIETNAM TO THE LIST OF COUNTRIES ELIGIBLE FOR THE JFS IN
GENERAL.
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FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, IN THE FIRST INSTANCE. WE HAVE IN MIND A SUM IN THE ORDER OF ONE MILLION POUNDS STERLING FOR THE SPECIAL FACILITY. TAKING ACCOUNT OF 80 PER CENT GEARING, THIS WOULD EQUATE WITH PROJECTS TO THE VALUE OF TWO MILLION DOLLARS. THE AMOUNT COULD BE TOPPED UP AS AND WHEN NECESSARY. TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME
5 A TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME MIGHT BE ATTRACTIVE TO THE
VIETNAMESE BECAUSE IT WOULD SIGNIFY AN IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD IN
OUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. WE ENVISAGE A SMALL TRAINING PROGRAMME, A HEADS OF MISSION GIFT SCHEME, WITH THE POSSIBILITY AT A LATER STAGE OF ASSISTANCE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING.
AGAIN FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION AT THIS STAGE, WE ENVISAGE A GRADUAL BUILD UP IN THESE AREAS OVER THREE FRAMEWORK YEARS OF
100,000 POUNDS, 200,000 POUNDS, 300,000 POUNDS. ATTITUDE TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (IFIS)
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ADOPTED A CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO AN INTERNATIONAL RECOVERY EXERCISE FOR VIETNAM, BECAUSE OF THE CAMBODIAN AND BOAT PEOPLE ISSUES. WHILE VIETNAM, ALONG WITH CHINA, IN MANY RESPECTS STILL HOLDS THE KEY TO A SETTLEMENT OF THE CAMBODIAN CONFLICT, COOPERATION IN DEALING WITH SCREENED-OUT
BOAT PEOPLE MIGHT JUSTIFY US IN ADOPTING A MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT VIETNAM WITH THE IFIS, PROVIDED THAT THERE WAS ADEQUATE PROGRESS ON THE SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES BEING DISCUSSED BETWEEN VIETNAM AND THE IFIS. IT COULD BE SOME TIME BEFORE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE POLICY CONTENT OF A PROGRAMME AND FINANCIAL
ARRANGEMENTS WERE FINALISED, PARTICUARLY IN VIEW OF THE AMERICAN
POSITION. BUT WE ARE READY TO PLAY A CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN
DISCUSSION WITH THE IFIS ON VIETNAM. WE RECOGNISE THAT THIS WOULD IMPLY WILLINGNESS TO MAKE A MODEST BILATERAL CONSTRIBUTION
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