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BACKGROUND
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1.
The Minister may wish, in The margins of the FAC, to press Andriessen on the question of the Commission office in
Hong Kong.
give
ito
the Minister
opportunity
2. We have regularly urged the Commission over the past
18 months to establish an office in Hong Kong. When
Andriessen visited Hong Kong in March, he said in a speech,
"it has been agreed that the Commission will open an office
in Hong Kong and I have proposed that the necessary finance
be provided for necessary finance be provided for this to
take place in 1991". A Commission aid memoire of 3 July,
which was subsequently agreed by COREPER, announced their
decision to open in 1991 delegations in Prague, Sofia,
Riyadh and Buenos Aires and an office (smaller scale) in Hong Kong. The Governor of Hong Kong refinforced the importance of the issue when he visited Brussels in
october..
3.
oi
to
However, Gida (Deputy Director General, DGI), when he called on Mr Lilley on 27 November, said that the Commission
had accorded higher priority Prague, Sofia and Riyadh in allocating their 1991 budget. A DGI source (please protect) tells us that there is provision in the budget for Buenos
Aires as well, but not Hong Kong. DGI still hope to
establish a Hong Kong office next year, holding over formal
but we shouldgreveal this. budget provision until 1992, and As this irregular route cannot be guaranteed, we should take this opportunity to increase the pressure on Andriessen/ to honour his public
pledge.
Not
9CNAAC/2
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