Ms Brooks, Legal Counsellor
Ms Hall, FED
Mr Bunten, HKD
Ms Doig, ECFAD/ODA (fax)
17CC 020/3
EC/MACAO: COOPERATION AGREEMENT
1.
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ра Spoke to this's really a math for
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The Asia Working Group will discuss the decision to conclude this agreement this afternoon: this is the last administrative hurdle before signature at the 15 June Foreign
Affairs Council.
2.
UKRep told me today that the French are likely to propose a Council statement in the minutes along the following lines:
"Respect for human rights and democracy is an essential element of this agreement under the terms of the Vienna Convention on Treaties."
3.
Our guess
This is a second hand report (from the Irish). is that the French, who earlier proposed a suspension clause under which cooperation would be suspended in the event of grave human rights abuses in Macao, are trying to beef up Article 1 (the "Democratic basis for cooperation" clause).
4.
It is not obvious what force a unilateral declaration would have: Macao would not be bound by it. Nonetheless I would welcome your views on
(i) the legal effect (if any) of the declaration;
(ii) whether the UK should be associated with the declaration.
5.
The meeting starts at 2pm our time. With apologies for the short deadline, I would be grateful for views by 1.30pm.
Don
Dominic Meiklejohn
European Community Department (External)
cc Mr Cannon
Mr Gifford
5 June 1992
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