CONFIDENTIAL
pa
ħ MFN file ¿MOHI
106423 MDHIAN 4618
49
CONFIDENTIAL
FM WASHINGTON
TO DESKBY 24073OZ FCO
TELNO 654
OF 24012OZ MARCH 93
lovels
24/3.
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS NEW YORK, PARIS, BONN, UKREP BRUSSELS INFO IMMEDIATE UKDEL NATO, MOSCOW, ACTOR, PEKING, HONG KONG
HKB 091/1 RECEVED IN REGISTRY
FCO PLEASE ADVANCE TO PRIVATE SECRETARY
DESK OFFICER
YOUR VISIT TO WASHINGTON
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
SUMMARY
1. THE ADMINISTRATION STILL IN TRANSITION. THE KEY FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES. HOW TO HELP SAFEGUARD REFORM IN RUSSIA AND BOSNIA AND IRAQ. CONTINUITY IN POLICY ON ARAB-ISRAEL. WE SHOULD RAISE NORTHERN IRELAND, CHINA/MFN, NUCLEAR TESTING AND THE GATT. U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM ON THE BACK-BURNER.
DETAIL
2. THE ADMINISTRATION IS NOWHERE NEAR GETTING MOST OF ITS SENIOR APPOINTEES CONFIRMED. IT STILL IS IN THE STAGE OF REVIEWING THE POLICY OPTIONS ON MOST OF THE ISSUES.
RUSSIA
3.
BUT
CLINTON'S MAIN FOCUS IS STILL DOMESTIC, BUT IN FOREIGN POLICY HIS OVERWHELMING PREOCCUPATION IS WITH THE SURVIVAL OF YELTSIN AND THE REFORM PROCESS IN RUSSIA. OTHERWISE ALL OTHER ISSUES INCLUDING BOSNIA, IRAQ AND ARAB/ISRAEL - WILL BE FAR HARDER TO DEAL WITH. FUTURE CUTS IN DEFENCE SPENDING, ON WHICH HIS DOMESTIC PROGRAMMES DEPEND, WOULD BE COMPROMISED. HE IS AWARE THAT EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT CAN MAKE ONLY A MARGINAL IMPACT AND THAT EMBRACING YELTSIN TO0 TIGHTLY MAY BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE. HE IS DETERMINED TO GET THE G7 TO OFFER A SUBSTANTIAL FURTHER PACKAGE OF ASSISTANCE ON THE LINES ALREADY DISCUSSED. KOZYREV CONFIRMED IN HIS TALKS WITH CHRISTOPHER IN WASHINGTON TODAY THAT YELTSIN WANTS TO STICK TO HIS PLANNED MEETING WITH CLINTON IN VANCOUVER ON 3-4 APRIL AND HAS NOT ASKED FOR A CHANGE OF VENUE. CLINTON IS NOT COMMITTED TO AN EARLY G7 SUMMIT. HE WANTS THE AID PACKAGE TO BE FINALISED BY FOREIGN AND FINANCE MINISTERS IN
MID-APRIL.
THE PRESIDENT WILL TELEPHONE THE PRIME MINISTER ABOUT
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