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CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKMIS NEW YORK
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3090
OF 230331Z SEPTEMBER 92
CONFIDENTIAL
International relations
ра
052675 MDHIAN 0198
23/1.
INFO IMMEDIATE TOKYO, MOSCOW, HONG KONG, PEKING, MANILA, SINGAPORE INFO IMMEDIATE JAKARTA, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, WASHINGTON, ACTOR
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FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY
SECRETARY OF STATE'S TALK WITH JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER,
22 SEPTEMBER
SUMMARY
1. THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND WATANABE DISCUSSED EUROPE, JAPAN/RUSSIA RELATIONS AND HONG KONG. WATANABE WELCOMED THE FRENCH APPROVAL OF THE MAASTRICHT TREATY. HE EMPHASISED THAT THE CANCELLATION OF YELTSIN'S VISIT TO TOKYO WOULD NOT LEAD TO A CHANGE IN JAPANESE POLICY TOWARDS RUSSIA. HE EXPRESSED JAPAN'S CONTINUED INTEREST IN A SECURE FUTURE FOR HONG KONG.
DETAIL
2. THE SECRETARY OF STATE OPENED BY ASKING ABOUT WATANABE'S HEALTH. WATANABE SAID THAT DESPITE PRESS REPORTS TO THE CONTRARY, HE WAS ALIVE, FIT AND WELL. (COMMENT: WATANABE LOOKED UNWELL, ALTHOUGH HE SEEMED MENTALLY FULLY ALERT.)
3. WATANABE SAID THAT JAPAN WAS GLAD THAT THE FRENCH PEOPLE HAD APPROVED THE MAASTRICHT TREATY. HE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VIEW ON THE PROSPECTS. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT THE FEELING WAS QUITE WIDESPREAD THAT GOVERNMENTS IN THE COMMUNITY HAD ALLOWED A GAP TO DEVELOP BETWEEN WHAT THE COMMUNITY WAS DOING, AND THE WISHES OF THEIR CITIZENS. TWO GOVERNMENTS, THE BRITISH AND THE DANISH HAD PARTICULAR DIFFICULTIES. IT WOULD TAKE SOME MONTHS TO ARRIVE AT A POSITION WHERE THE MAASTRICHT TREATY WAS ACCEPTABLE TO
THE U K PARLIAMENT AND THE DANISH PUBLIC.
4. WATANABE SAID THAT JAPAN WELCOMED EUROPEAN INTEGRATION. BUT SOME ASEAN COUNTRIES WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE RISK OF A FORTRESS EUROPE, AND WERE PURSUING INTEGRATION ARRANGEMENTS OF THEIR OWN. JAPAN HOPED THAT BOTH EUROPEAN AND ASEAN INTEGRATION WOULD BE PURSUED IN AN OPEN MANNER.
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