CODE 18-77
Mr Stephenson
MVD
RESTRICTED
Reference................................................
cc: Mr Woodrow, HKD
J R McCulloch Esq, Hanoi (f.i)
HKD 345/4
VIETNAM: VISA REGIME
1. 30 June, a number of British businessmen remarked that their Vietnamese interlocutors had been very critical of the time it took to issue visas for Vietnamese officials travelling to the UK and Hong Kong.
At a meeting of the Asia Pacific Advisory Group on
2.
This is not the first time we have received such complaints, and I know that MVD have looked into this question before. But in view of the major improvements in UK-Vietnamese relations over the last few months, the changes which aretaking place in Vietnam, and the prospect of
greatly increased trade between the UK (and Hong Kong) and Vietnam, I believe we (and Hong Kong) should now seriously consider reviewing our visa regimes for Vietnam.
3. I should be grateful for your (and Mr Woodrow's) initial views on this, by 15 July.
5. Gansley
A JN Tansley
South East Asian Department
2 July 1992
RESTRICTED
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