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13 J!' 1993
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MDHIAN 8241
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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1114
OF 090514Z JULY 93
INFO IMMEDIATE D/TP, BANGKOK
FOR IAD
-NIR.
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INDEX
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YOUR TELNO 194: UK/THAILAND TRUNK ROUTE TALKS.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, GLASS (ASNU) MET ROUNGROJ (DGCA THAILAND) ON 7 JULY TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF REMOVING THE LONG-STANDING THAI RESERVE OVER THE HONG KONG/THAILAND ASA TEXT AND OF IMPLEMENTING THE HONG KONG/THAILAND CMU ON A PROVISIONAL BASIS.
2. ROUNGROJ APPEARED RECEPTIVE TO THESE IDEAS AND SEEMED TO TAKE THE
POINT THAT FURTHER DELAY ON THE ASA WOULD BE AGAINST BOTH THAI AND HONG KONG INTERESTS. HE UNDERTOOK TO MAKE SUITABLE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MINISTERIAL ASA COMMITTEE, WHO UP TO NOW HAVE INSISTED ON MAINTAINING THEIR RESERVE ON THE ASA TEXT AS POTENTIAL LEVERAGE IN THEIR TRUNK ROUTE DISCUSSIONS WITH DOT. THE NEXT MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE IS IN TWO WEEKS' TIME. GLASS UNDERTOOK TO PUT THE PROPOSALS IN WRITING BEFORE THEN (COPIES TO FIELDER, DOT AND FALL, BANGKOK).
3. GIVEN OUR NEGOTIATING HISTORY WITH THE THAIS WE ARE NOT PINNING UNDUE HOPE ON A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME. NEVERTHELESS, AGAINST THIS RECENT BACKGROUND, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE OFFER ENVISAGED IN TUR OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL TALKS IN OCTOBER MAY SIMPLY PROVIDE THE THAIS WITH
ANOTHER EXCUSE TO DEFER ANY DECISION ON THE HONG KONG ASA UNTIL THEN. GRATEFUL, THEREFORE, IF THAT OFFER COULD BE DELAYED UNTIL WE LEARN THE OUTCOME OF THE NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING.
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