Als
101511
MDHIAN 9210
CONFIDENTIAL
FM WASHINGTON
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2591
OF 24225OZ NOVEMBER 92
CONFIDENTIAL
MA2091/2
pa
MFN file
ملتی
pls.
INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, UKDEL NATO, PARIS, BONN, MOSCOW INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, PEKING
CLINTON ADMINISTRATION : FOREIGN POLICY
1. I CALLED ON LEE HAMILTON, WHO IS ABOUT TO TAKE OVER AS THE NEW DEMOCRAT CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
2. HAMILTON SAID THAT THE PRIME MINISTER'S MEETING WITH CLINTON WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT. HE DID NOT BELIEVE THEY WOULD HAVE ANY DIFFICULTY IN ESTABLISHING A GOOD PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP. CLINTON HAD GOOD INSTINCTS IN FOREIGN POLICY AND WAS A FAST LEARNER BUT, OBVIOUSLY, HE LACKED EXPERIENCE AND THERE WOULD BE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE HIM. HAMILTON HIMSELF HAD TOLD CLINTON THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF KEY AREAS IN WHICH HE WOULD NEED TO REASSURE THE ALLIES.
3.
ON THE GATT, HAMILTON COMMENTED THAT IT WAS GENERALLY RECOGNISED HERE THAT THE PRIME MINISTER HAD PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN GETTING THE EC/U.S. AGREEMENT. HE REALISED THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS WOULD NOT BE FINALISED UNTIL THE NEW YEAR AND THAT CLINTON WAS GOING TO HAVE TO PUT THE AGREEMENT THROUGH CONGRESS. THE TACTICAL HANDLING OF THIS HAD NOT YET BEEN DECIDED.
HE
4. ON EUROPEAN DEFENCE, HAMILTON SAID THAT CLINTON WAS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO KEEPING BETWEEN 75,000 AND 100,000 MEN IN EUROPE. AGREED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING CLEAR THAT THIS WAS A DEFINITE BOTTOM LINE. I EXPLAINED OUR POSITION ON EUROPEAN DEFENCE STRUCTURES, EMPHASISING THAT THE KEY QUESTION ABOUT THE FRANCO-GERMAN CORPS WAS THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE INTEGRATED MILITARY STRUCTURE OF THE ALLIANCE. HAMILTON AGREED.
5.
ON POLICY TOWARDS THE FORMER SOVIET UNION, HAMILTON ALSO EXPECTED A HIGH DEGREE OF CONTINUITY. HE REALISED THAT THERE WAS GREAT UNCERTAINTY OVER DEVELOPMENTS IN RUSSIA AND AGREED THAT WE SHOULD DO ALL WE COULD TO HELP THE RUSSIANS NOW E.G. OVER DEBT RELIEF, WHILE PRESERVING ALLIANCE DEFENCES AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY OF ADVERSE DEVELOPMENTS IN MOSCOW.
PAGE
1
CONFIDENTIAL