ΝΑΤΟ
CONFIDENTIAL
4.
Secretary of State said that following German re-unification he
expected Soviet troops to remain in Eastern Germany for 3 to 4
years, and Western forces to remain in Berlin; all forces would be
at reduced levels. A united Germany would be a NATO member and the
Russians would have no veto over this.
EC
Secretary of State said that there would be no delay in
achieving the 1992 deadline for a Single Market. He saw no
5.
immediate prospect of Eastern European countries joining as it would
be several years before their economies could be run on lines which
would qualify them for membership.
6. Although there was a great deal of speculation about such
matters as political union, the abolition of currencies and creation
of a Central Bank nothing substantive had yet been tabled. The role
of the European Parliament also needed to be addressed.
Secretary of State told the Foreign Minister that despite
developments in the EC and Eastern Europe, British interests in the South East Asian region remained important.
7.
Hong Kong
8.
Secretary of State said the next seven years would be a difficult period to manage. How did Singapore view the Chinese leadership? Foreign Minister replied that they saw little prospect
of political reform until the last of the 'Long March' leadership
had departed the scene.
Vietnam
9.
Foreign Minister volunteered that they saw the situation in
Vietnam as much worse than Chinese. A fact finding group which had
visited from Singapore described the situation as one of shambles.
Secretary of State commented that the peoples of the north and south
CONFIDENTIAL