RESTRICTED
Int
support file
2481
020643
MDTTAN 1658
RESTRICTED
FM BUENOS AIRES
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER
OF 08140OZ JUNE 90
FROM: A C HUNT
ΤΟ : JOHN DEW, FID
Ако
34011
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
1 8 JUN 1990
REGISTRY
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
Action Taken,
CC
: HONG KONG DEPARTMENT, FCO
·
Marmis pajiz/6
Mr Paul
I think there is little to be gained by pursuing the Argentris
over this. (It looks like Pena, acting on his own
mhis own trying
tagning to be helpful but succeeding only in being confusing.)
POTENTIAL HONG KONG IMMIGRATION INTO ARGENTINA
1. AS YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM THE PRESS SUMMARY OF 6 JUNE (BUENOS AIRES TELNO 388) LA PRENSA HAS MANAGED TO GET HOLD OF RECORDS OF CONVERSATIONS I HAD WITH JUAN EDUARDO FLEMING AND JOSE MARIA OTEGUI AT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY FOLLOWING CAVALLO'S VISIT TO LONDON WHEN I TRIED TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FINANCIAL TIMES' CLAIM THAT CAVALLO HAD BEEN ADVOCATING HONG KONG IMMIGRATION INTO ARGENTINA.
2. WHEN I SAW OTEGUI ON 7 JUNE HE MENTIONED THIS WITH SOME EMBARRASSMENT, MAKING CLEAR THAT THE LEAK HAD NOT OCCURRED ANYWHERE NEAR HIM. I CONSOLED HIM BY SAYING THAT AT LEAST THE DOCUMENT ATTRIBUTED TO HIM RECORDED OUR CONVERSATION ACCURATELY AS FAR AS MY MEMORY SERVED ME: AND THAT IN PARTICULAR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S POSITION HAD BEEN ACCURATELY DESCRIBED, NAMELY THAT WHILE WE WERE INTERESTED IN THE POSSIBILITY OF SETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES WE WERE NOT IN ANY SENSE ACTIVELY ENCOURAGING EMIGRATION FROM HONG KONG. I WENT ON TO SAY THAT I STILL REMAINED COMPLETELY IN THE DARK ABOUT ARGENTINA'S POLICY ON THIS MATTER. OTEGUI SAID HE SHARED MY IGNORANCE. BUT HE WAS PRETTY CERTAIN THAT THE WHOLE BUSINESS HAD BEEN TRIGGERED OFF BY JUAN PENA'S REMARKS WHEN HE WAS IN TRANSIT IN LONDON. HE HAD ESTABLISHED TO HIS TOTAL SATISFACTION THAT CAVALLO HAD NEVER MENTIONED THS SUBJECT TO ANYBODY DURING HIS VISIT.
SIGNED A C HUNT
YYYY
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