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SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC INCOME) WHO WAS UNAVAILABLE BECAUSE OF ILLNESS.
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12. BRITISH AIRWAYS: THE MINISTER PRESSED THE CASE FOR ALLOWING
BRITISH AIRWAYS ONWARD FLIGHTS TO SANTIAGO FROM 29 MARCH. THE PRESIDENT, CAVALLO AND DI TELLA ALL REACTED POSITIVELY WITH DI TELLA DECLARING HIS ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE TO BE A COMPLETELY OPEN SKIES' POLICY THEY WERE, HOWEVER, RESTRICTED BY THE TERMS OF THE PRIVATISATION OF AEROLINEAS ARGENTINAS AND WERE LOOKING FOR SOME FORM OF RECIPROCITY, POSSIBLY RIGHTS FOR AEROLINEAS ARGENTINAS ON THE RIO-LONDON ROUTE. THE MINISTER POINTED OUT THAT THAT WOULD INVOLVE FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS. BRITISH AIRWAYS WERE NOT ASKING FOR THAT AT THIS STAGE ON THE SANTIAGO ROUTE. THE MFA FINALLY AGREED
TO CONSIDER WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO ACCEPT ONWARD FLIGHTS TO SANTIAGO (WITHOUT FIFTH FREEDOM) BEFORE THE MEETING OF THE TWO AERONAUTICAL AUTHORITIES ON 10 MARCH. THEY WOULD WANT TO TABLE THE QUESTION OF FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS AT THAT MEETING (COMMENT:
WE WILL PURSUE LOCALLY).
13.
IRICS: THE ARGENTINES AGREED THAT THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS WERE WORKING WELL. BUT THEIR ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE WAS COMPLETE RETURN TO NORMALITY. IN THE MEANTIME, SINCE THEY DID NOT FEEL THREATENED, THEY WERE CONTEMPLATING MAKING A UNILATERAL ANNOUNCEMENT LIFTING RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR SIDE. MR GAREL-JONES SUGGESTED THAT THE TIMING OF ANY SUCH ANNOUNCEMENT MIGHT BE BETTER
MADE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH OTHER DECISIONS ON MILITARY COOPERATION LATER IN THE YEAR. OTEGUI SUBSEQUENTLY CLARIFIED IN THE MARGINS THAT ANY SUCH DECISION WOULD NOT (NOT) AFFECT THE TERMINAL CONTROL ZONE OR THE COMMUNICATIONS LINK. IT WOULD SIMPLY LIFT THE RESTRICTIONS ON NOTIFICATION OF EXERCISES, MAJOR VESSEL MOVEMENTS AND DISTANCES FROM THE ARGENTINE COAST TO WHICH ROYAL NAVY VESSELS MIGHT GO.
14.
SOUTH GEORGIA: MR GAREL-JONES WARNED DI TELLA AT THEIR PRIVATE MEETING THAT IF ACTION IN CCAMLR TO SAFEGUARD STOCKS ROUND SOUTH GEORGIA WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, WE WOULD HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO TAKE UNILATERAL ACTION. DI TELLA REPLIED IN THE FORMAL MEETING THAT INTRODUCTION OF AN EEZ ROUND SOUTH GEORGIA WOULD CAUSE ARGENTINA MAJOR PROBLEMS (UN PROBLEMA NO MENOR).
15. AIR LINKS: DI TELLA SEEMED ATTRACTED BY THE MINISTER'S ARGUMENT THAT IT WAS NOT IN ARGENTINA'S INTERESTS TO INHIBIT LINKS BETWEEN THE FALKLANDS AND URUGUAY/CHILE (COMMENT: IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER THEY WILL DROP THEIR INSISTENCE
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