RESTRICTED
FM TOKYO
M
M
Morris
Я
TO TELELETTER F CO
TELETTER NFR
OF 030518Z SEPTEMBER 91
AND TO TELELETTER MOSCOW
FROM EJ FIELD, TOKYO
1319
RESTRICTED
(c. Sir J. Coles
Mr Drives, FED Mr. Michaelts, HKD.
St
HKD 021/13/9
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NFR DATED 03 SEPTEMBER 91 TO ANDREW BURNS ESQ, CC D MANNING, MOSCOW
-MALLIFED
DESK
FCO
JAP fle
057575
MDHIAN 1038
" 175
PS/ Lord Cathmen Sin score. Har of Soncet Dipl.
ईसेन
ERD
UND
HAD
10/5
MRS THATCHER'S VISIT TO JAPAN: MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER KAIFU, 1 SEPTEMBER 1991
1. I ACCOMPANIED MRS THATCHER ON HER CALL ON PRIME MINISTER KAIFU. THIS TOOK PLACE ON THE AFTERNOON OF 1 SEPTEMBER, SHORTLY AFTER HER ARRIVAL. JEFFREY ARCHER, WHO IS MASTERMINDING THE JAPANESE TOUR, WAS ALSO PRESENT. THE PRIME MINISTER CLEARLY WANTED TO MAKE AN EVENT OF THE MEETING, WHICH WAS HELD IN ONE OF THE MAIN ROOMS OF THE STATE GUEST HOUSE (GEIHINKAN). A HUGE CROWD OF REPORTERS WAS ON HAND TO RECORD THE INITIAL MOMENTS OF THEIR MEETING. REPORTS OF THE DISCUSSION APPEARED IN ALL THE MAJOR NEWSPAPERS AND IN GENERAL FACTUALLY REFLECTED THE CONVERSATION. ONLY THE ASAHI PRESENTED IT AS MRS THATCHER LECTURING THE PRIME MINISTER. THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGHOUT WAS MOST FRIENDLY.
2 =
ALMOST THREE QUARTERS OF THE ONE HOUR MEETING WAS TAKEN UP WITH DISCUSSION OF THE SOVIET UNION. AT KAIFU'S REQUEST MRS THATCHER LED OFF BY SAYING THAT SHE THOUGHT BOTH GORBACHEV AND YELTSIN HAD MADE MISTAKES FOLLOWING THE COUP BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE OTHER'S POSITION. GORBACHEV DID NOT REALISE HOW DISCREDITED THE COMMUNIST PARTY HAD BECOME AND MADE THE MISTAKE OF TRYING TO DEFEND IT. YELTSIN DID NOT APPRECIATE THE SHOCK WHICH GORBACHEV HAD BEEN THROUGH AND OVERPLAYED HIS HAND, PARTICULARLY IN HIS REMARKS ABOUT ADJUSTING INTERNAL BOUNDARIES. MRS THATCHER WENT
ON TO SAY THAT RECENT EVENTS CLEARLY SHOWED THAT THE SOVIET UNION WAS NOT A FEDERATION, BUT AN EMPIRE. THE 9 + 1 AGREEMENT WOULD NOW BE SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED IN FAVOUR OF THE REPUBLICS. THERE WOULD BE SOME FORM OF UNION ALTHOUGH THE BALTIC REPUBLICS WOULD BE IN A SPECIAL POSITION. SHE THEN RECOUNTED HER DISCUSSION WITH PRESIDENT NAZARBAYEV WHO SHE HAD TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY OF MEETING DURING A REFUELLING STOP ON THE WAY TO TOKYO. SHE HAD MADE THREE POINTS TO
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