03 3265 5511
P.01
(28
03-NOV-1992
14:36
BRITISH EMBASSY
i cc. Mr Bunter, HIED
Hr. Ferguson, Eater
Feryar
2kb 021/1 Mr. Peale, ERD
Mr Hun
серу
27/9
sent Ps/GH 9/11
Reference
Parra 99
(in Miss Allan
Gullam Dr. Bristows-sinth
علا
اسمه
هشمة
CALL BY LADY CHALKER ON MR KAKIZAWA: 28 OCTOBER 1992
1.
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Lady Chalker called on the Parliamentary Vice-Minister at the Foreign Ministry on 28 October.
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2. Mr Kakizawa welcomed her to Japan and spoke of Britain's being "our good friend in Europe". Lady Chalker also spoke of our close bilateral relations, Mr Hurd's pleasure in meeting Mr Watanabe in New York and the Prime Minister's regret at having to postpone his visit. She would help ensure that when he did come for the Tokyo Summit he devoted plenty of time to a bilateral programme also, including seeing something of Japan outside Tokyo. Mr Kakizawa said the Japanese were only disappointed that so many European leaders had postponed visits - Yeltsin, Kohl, now Andriessen.
3.
Lady Chalker described and commended proposals for a "next generation forum".
4.
When Mr Kakizawa asked about Maastricht, Lady Chalker said that the Danish and French referenda had revealed anxieties among the electorate, which were shared in Germany, Spain etc as well as the UK. The Birmingham European Council had been useful in addressing these problems and agreeing on greater openness, on taking more account of public concern about loss of national identity, on giving new impetus to subsidiarity and on improving the presentation of the contents of Maastricht. People had yet to realise that Maastricht limited over-centralisation. That would probably only come out when we began line-by-line examination of it. Parliament had approved HMG's aims in negotiating Maastricht and had approved the outcome. But the Commission had overplayed its hand. We now needed to return the debate from imagined threats to the real content of the agreement. We had to work together in Europe not just on trade but on foreign policy, security and internal affairs. Mr Kakizawa need not worry. The problems were in hand.
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5. Mr Kakizawa said he hoped the treaty would be ratified. wanted a strong Europe as third pillar of the world economy. supported European integration. This was also vital for Japanese investors in the UK.
6.
He went on to speak about Russia, stressing in familiar terms that Japanese rigidity was not to blame for Yeltsin's postponement. Japan would continue to cooperate in international efforts to help the FSU by hosting the Tokyo conference, by doubling its humanitarian aid this year over last (with emphasis on medical supplies and distribution, and on the Asian part of the FSU), by supporting the programme for Russian nuclear scientists, and by continuing to contribute within the IMF framework. But Japan could not give massive financial aid without progress on the territorial issue. He had been criticised at an LDP meeting the previous day for MFA "over-generosity" to Russia. This reflected public feeling against helping Russia while they continued to occupy the islands. Some were even saying that if there were no progress by next July, Yeltsin should not be invited to the Tokyo Summit. Lady Chalker said that we understood the Japanese position well. But we did think that their best chance of resolving the issue lay in Yeltsin. The food situation was not as bad as last year, but there were problems on the medical and distribution sides.
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