RESTRICTED FM TOKYO
TO PRIORITY OTTER
TELNO 748
OF 310001Z OCTOBER 90
INFO PRIORITY FCO, HONG KONG
FOR LOVE
OT2
·
32
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016114
MDLIAN 2811
HKB 026/9
RECEIVED
TOP COPY
DECISTA
-15 NOV 1990
Q DIST?
DESK JF
INDEX
комф
OUR TELNO 955 AND TELECON LOVE / HUMFREY: VISIT BY SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY
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WE DISCUSSED THE DATES IN TUR WITH MITI. SUGIUE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR WEST EUROPEAN DIVISION, SUGGESTED THAT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE DIET TIMETABLE, A TIME FROM 10-18 JANAURY WOULD BE BEST.
2.
HOWEVER HE ADDED TWO CAVEATS.
THE DIET SCHEDULE
WAS MORE UN PREDICTABLE THAN USUAL THIS YEAR BECAUSE
OF ''SENSITIVE'' DISCUSSIONS THE UN COOPERATION LAW AND JAPAN'S ROLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST). SECONDLY THERE WAS GROWING TALK OF
A POSSIBLE CABINET RESHUFFLE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS
AND HE COULD NOT BE SURE THAT MUTO WOULD REMAIN IN HIS POST.
3. FOR THESE REASONS MITI WOULDNOT BE IN A POSITION DEFINITELY TO CONFIRM THE AVAILABILITY OF THEIR MINISTER, UNTIL MUCH NEARER THE TIME. HOWEVER THEY WOULD BE CONTENT FOR US TO MAKE A FORMAL PROPOSAL ON DATES AT THIS STAGE. COMMENT:A CHANGE OF MINISTER WOULD NOT HELP OUR PLANNING, BUT AS YOU KNOW, IT IS GETTING THE MESSAGE INTO THE SYSTEM AT THE TOP LEVEL THAT IS
IMPORTANT.
4.
IF
AS YOU HAVE INDICATED, YOU WOULD PREFER TO HAVE MORE TIME FOR THE PROGRAMME, YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT TO THE PROPOSAL IN TUR. IF MR LILLEY ARRIVED ON SUNDAY 13 JANUARY (THERE IS A DIRECT FLIGHT JL422, DEP LHR 15.30 ON SATURDAY, ARR OSAKA 20.10 SUNDAY), HE COULD SPEND 14 JANAURY IN OSAKA. SOME SENIOR BUSINESSMEN MAY BE AWAY THAT DAY TAKING
A BRIDGING WEEKEND AS 15 JANUARY IS A PUBLIC HOLIDAY. BUT WE WOULD HOPE TO ARRANGE A SATISFACTORY PROGRAMME.
MR LILLEY WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THE HOLIDAY (15 JAN TO SIGHTSEE (FOR EXAMPLE IN KYOTO) AND TO TRAVEL UP TO TOKYO. HE COULD THEN HAVE A FULL 3- DAY PROGRAMME IN TOKYO 16-18 JANAURY. WE CONTINUE TO HOPE THAT HIS VISIT TO TOKYO WILL COINCIDE
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