NFIDENTIAL
FM STOCKHOLM
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 36
OF 19101OZ JANUARY 90
CONFIDENTIAL
\"
033052
MDLIAN 1669
(A)
YOUR TELNO 87 TO WASHINGTON: HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
SUMMARY
1 IMMIGRATION MINISTER CONFIRMS THAT SWEDISH GOVERNMENT WILL STUDY THE PROBLEM SYMPATHETICALLY.
DETAIL
2. CALLED ON MRS LOOW, THE MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR IMMIGRATION MATTERS, ON 19 JANUARY. SHE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR IMMIGRATION AND THE HEAD OF THE RELEVANT SECTION OF THE MINISTRY.
3. I WENT THROUGH THE POINTS WE HAD MADE TO THE MFA (MY TELNO 5) AND THE MINISTER SHOWED THAT SHE WAS ALREADY AWARE OF OUR REPRESENTATIONS. SHE ASKED WHETHER WE WERE SPEAKING IN A SIMILAR WAY TO OTHER EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS WITH INTERESTS IN HONG KONG AND I CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS THE CASE AND THAT WE WERE ALSO APPROACHING INTERESTED GOVERNMENTS OUTSIDE EUROPE.
3. THE MINISTER CONFIRMED THAT HER DEPARTMENT WAS EXAMINING WITH
OTHER SWEDISH MINISTRIES CONCERNED THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG CITIZENS EMPLOYED BY SWEDISH COMPANIES. BUT SHE COULD NOT NECESSARILY BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS NOR GIVE ANY IDEA OF THE TIMETABLE. SHE THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD WISH TO CONSULT OTHER NORDIC COUNTRIES, EG NORWAY, BEFORE DECIDING POLICY. SWEDEN WAS ACUTELY CONSCIOUS OF IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS AT PRESENT, BECAUSE OF HER OWN TURKISH IMMIGRANTS. SHE WOULD STUDY YOUR STATEMENT (YOUR TELNO 2365 TO WASHINGTON) SYMPATHETICALLY.
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CONFIDENTIAL