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36. Mr Conroy (DFAT) hoped both sides would stay in close touch He saw little likelihood of an over representation in Belgrade.
Australian military contribution to any post-Vance/Owen peacekeeping.
THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
Somalia
37. Sir J Coles offered congratulations on the Australian deployment. Mr Smith said there had been a strong Australian response: A$11.5 million had been raised through public appeal.
South Africa
38.
Sir J Coles briefed the DFAT team on the recent visits to the UK by Buthelezi and Mandela (FCO Telnos 40 and 44 to Capetown). Mr Landale (DFAT) said that the Australians were looking to lift sanctions in a way which could be justified as within the Harare framework. Mr Smith was encouraged by British advice to Buthelezi, but discouraged by some of the latter's comments: he was a thug. Sir J Coles said that Buthelezi was a factor to be managed.
Iraq
It was
39.
Sir J Coles briefed the DFAT team on British policy. important to keep up political and humanitarian pressure. Maintaining international solidarity became harder over time.
40. DFAT team made the following points:
(a)
(b)
(c)
41.
Australia supported maintaining pressure on Saddam.
Concerned that the MIF was not sufficiently multi-national in character (at present just US and Australian ships in the Red Sea) had urged the US to encourage other countries to contribute to broaden the MIF's basis.
An irregular international regime over Iraq might be needed for a long time.
British side undertook to explain why UK not involved in MIF.
Arab-Israel
42.
Mr Landale (DFAT) welcomed the degree of Israeli-Palestinian engagement in the recent peace talks. He was interested in the working groups, particularly the economic working group: was there a price tag on participation? Sir J Coles undertook to arrange a briefing.
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