CONFIDENTIAL
FM OTTAWA
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 114
OF 12230OZ FEBRUARY 90
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 020/12.
RECEIVED IN RECISTRY
2 0 MAR 1990
DESI
INDEX
灶
менадие
141536
MDLIAN 8419
pa (CANADA|HIC)
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, PARIS, BONN, UKDEL NATO, CAPE TOWN INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, PEKING, UKREP~BRUSSELS, UKMIS NEW YORK
FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY
W1522
SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH THE CANADIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
SUMMARY
1. CLARK REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO KEEP CANADIAN TROOPS IN EUROPE BUT ENVISAGES CUTS ON AN AGREED BASIS. CANADA KEEN TO DEVELOP ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY, FOLLOWING THE US EXAMPLE. DIFFERENCE OF VIEW ON SOUTH AFRICA: CANADA WANTS TO MAINTAIN
SANCTIONS UNTIL THERE ARE CHANGES IN SOUTH AFRICAN LAW. CANADA
REMAINS WELL DISPOSED ON HONG KONG BUT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO
INTRODUCE A NATIONALITY SCHEME LIKE OUR OWN. AGREEMENT ON CAMBODIA.
DETAIL
2. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAW CLARK IN OTTAWA ON 12 FEBRUARY. THE
MAIN POINTS WERE AS FOLLOWS.
CANADIAN FORCES IN EUROPE
GOVERNMENT WAS NOT UNDER SEVERE
EUROPE. THERE WERE BUDGETARY
3. CLARK SAID THAT THE CANADIAN
PRESSURE TO WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM
PRESSURES AND THERE WERE SOME IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND EVEN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE WHO WANTED TO WITHDRAW TROOPS EVEN AHEAD
OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS. BUT THE POLICY QUESTION HAD BEEN SETTLED
AND THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT DID NOT INTEND TO ACT UNILATERALLY.
IF AGREEMENTS ALLOWED THEM TO REDUCE THEIR FORCE LEVELS, THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT MATTER. BUT THEY WOULD CERTAINLY EXPECT TO MAKE
TROOP WITHDRAWALS AS PART OF ANY INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT. CLARK
HIMSELF WAS INSISTING THAT CANADA'S TROOP PRESENCE IN EUROPE WAS ITS
MOST TANGIBLE COLLECTIVE LINKAGE WITH THE CONTINENT.
EC/US
4. CLARK SAID CANADA DID NOT WANT TO BE LEFT BEHIND BY THE EC/US
AGREEMENT. CANADA WAS VULNERABLE BECAUSE THEY WERE A LONG WAY AWAY FROM EUROPE AND DID NOT HAVE THE WEIGHT OF THE US. RELATIONS WITH THE
COMMISSION WERE GENERALLY CHARACTERISED BY ARGUMENTS OVER FISH ETC
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