RESTRICTED
HKB 400
ECEIVED INE
Y
07 APR 1990
RESTRICTED
FM CARACAS
TO DESKBY 23170OZ FCO
TELNO 85
OF 231645Z MARCH 90
AND TO DESKBY 24010OZ HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
110
127
128
117025 MDHIAN 2673
MY TELNO 80 TO FCO, AND HONG KONG TELNO 3 TO CARACAS: VENEZUELAN ACTING CONSUL-GENERAL IN HONG KONG
1. WE HAVE PRESSED THE MFA DAILY FOR THE 'POSITIVE' WRITTEN REPLY
ACTING FOREIGN MINISTER TAYLHARDAT SAID WOULD BE SENT. THIS REPLY AT LAST ARRIVED ON 23 MARCH (TRANSLATION IN MIFT). IT SEEMS TO US TO BE AS GOOD AN UNDERTAKING AS WE CAN EXPECT.
2. MEANTIME, THE CARACAS PRESS HAS PICKED UP AGENCY STORIES FROM HONG KONG, BASED ON A SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST REPORT. THESE STORIES REFER TO LETTERS FROM THE POLITICAL ADVISER TO THE HONG KONG DIPLOMATIC CORPS, AND QUOTE PART OF THE TEXTS. ONE HEADLINE READS
'HONG KONG ASKS VENEZUELA TO TRY CONSUL: IF NOT, HE WILL NOT BE HANDED OVER.'
3. IF ASKED ABOUT THE PRESS REPORTS, WE SHALL CONFIRM THAT WE ARE
IN DISCUSSION WITH THE VENEZUELANS ABOUT THE RETURN OF RAMIREZ, BUT DECLINE TO CONFIRM IN TERMS EITHER OUR REQUEST FOR CERTAIN UNDERTAKINGS OR THEIR POSITIVE REPLY, THOUGH I DARESAY THIS WILL SOON ENOUGH REACH THE PRESS FROM THE VENEZUELAN SIDE.
FITZHERBERT
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
52
LIMITED
HKD
SAMD
PROTOCOL D
FED
DISTRIBUTION
52
PAGE
CONSULAR D
LEGAL ADVISERS
MVD
MR GILLMORE
MR MCLAREN
1
RESTRICTED