CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 345 /
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021425 MDLOAN 2352
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO VISA 145
OF 18154OZ APRIL 90
Visa polig ate.
не
AND TO PRIORITY BUDAPEST, WARSAW, BERLIN, PRAGUE, SOFIA, MOSCOW AND TO PRIORITY BELGRADE, BUCHAREST, ULAN BATOR, HANOI INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
HONG KONG VISA POLICY: EASTERN EUROPE
1.
THERE APPEAR TO BE TWO ASPECTS TO YOUR REVIEW OF VISA POLICY TOWARDS THE COUNTRIES OF EASTERN EUROPE (THE TERM SOVBLOC IS NO LONGER USED AND MOST OF THE COUNTRIES OF EASTERN EUROPE CAN NO LONGER BE TERMED COMMUNIST STATES). FIRSTLY WHETHER TO CONTINUE IMPOSING VISA REGIMES ON THESE COUNTRIES SEMI COLON SECONDLY HOW TO STREAMLINE THE VISA ISSUING PROCEDURES WHERE REGIMES ARE MAINTAINED. WE HAVE BEEN CARRYING OUT SIMILAR REVIEWS IN RELATION TO UK VISA REQUIREMENTS. IT MAY BE HELPFUL TO YOU TO KNOW WHERE WE PRESENTLY STAND IN WHAT IS A RAPIDLY EVOLVING SITUATION.
2. MINISTERS HERE HAVE AGREED TO TREAT EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS DEPENDING INTER ALIA ON THEIR PROGRESS TOWARDS MULTI-PARTY DEMOCRACY, THE SECURITY THREAT FROM THEIR EXTERNAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATIONS AND THE IMMIGRATION THREAT OF ILLEGAL SETTLEMENT OR ILLEGAL WORKING. WE ARE ALSO ATTEMPTING TO KEEP OUR EC PARTNERS IN STEP ALTHOUGH THE PRESSURES ON INDIVIDUAL PARTNER COUNTRIES VARY ENORMOUSLY. IN ALL THIS MINISTERS ARE CONSCIOUS OF OUR CSCE COMMITTMENTS TO PROMOTE FREER TRAVEL WITHIN EUROPE. THEY ARE ALSO KEENLY AWARE OF THE COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES OPENING UP IN EASTERN EUROPE.
3. THE GDR IS A SPECIAL CASE GIVEN THE DRIVE TOWARDS UNIFICATION AND THE FREE ACCESS BY GDR NATIONALS TO FRG TRAVEL DOCUMENTS. AT THE FAC ON 2 APRIL WE AGREED TO REMOVE THE VISA REQUIREMENT ON GDR ONCE ALL EC PARTNERS HAD AGREED TO DO SO. THE ITALIANS ARE HOLDING THIS UP INSISTING ON A LINKAGE TO RELAXATION FOR HUNGARY AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA BUT IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT THE VISA REQUIREMENT WILL BE LIFTED SOON.
OF THE OTHER 5 COUNTRIES THE PRESSURE FOR RELAXATION IS GREATEST FOR HUNGARY AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA, BOTH FROM THOSE
4.
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