CONFIDENTIAL
077526
MDHIAN,939
4. BEATTY EXPRESSED GRATITUDE FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S COMMENTS ON THE ROLE OF CANADIAN TROOPS IN BOSNIA. THESE HAD BEEN VERY WELL RECEIVED. HE ENQUIRED ABOUT OUR POSITION ON
WITHDRAWAL OF OUR FORCES SHOULD THE ARMS EMBARGO BE LIFTED. THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAID THERE WAS NO FIRM DECISION TO WITHDRAW OUR TROOPS IF THE EMBARGO WAS LIFTED, BUT IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT WE WOULD THINK IT RIGHT TO KEEP THEM THERE IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. SUCH A DECISION WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN AFTER CONSULATIONS WITH UNPROFOR AS A WHOLE. BUT IT WAS CLEAR, AND WE HAD TOLD THE U.S. AS MUCH, THAT THE UN COULD NOT KEEP UP ITS HUMANITARIAN EFFORT IF THE EMBARGO WERE LIFTED: THE BASIS OF THE HUMANITARIAN
EFFORT WAS THAT UNPROFOR DID NOT TAKE SIDES. IN THE DISPUTE.
5.
THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SET OUT AT SOME LENGTHS HIS ANALYSIS OF THE MILITARY AND POLITICAL SITUATIONS IN BOSNIA, INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF THE EC PRESIDENCY GOING TO ZAGREB AND BELGRADE. HE DESCRIBED THE BOSNIAN CONFLICT AS A NIGHTMARE: NO ONE TOLD THE TRUTH, EVERYONE COMMITTED ATROCITIES AND THE MUSLIMS WERE NOW GIVING AS GOOD AS THEY RECEIVED. THROUGH ALL THIS GLOOM IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT OWEN AND STOLTENBERG SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO PERSIST WITH THEIR EFFORTS. THESE WERE TWO SENIOR AND VERY EXPERIENCED INTERNATIONAL POLITICIANS. THE FRAME WORK OF UN/EC COOPERATION ON YUGOSLAVIA FITTED WELL WITH CANADA'S IDEAS FOR REGIONAL ORGANISATIONS TO TAKE A ROLE IN PEACE KEEPING.
HONG KONG
6.
THE FOREIGN SECRETARY TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF BEATTY ON HONG KONG AND THE PURPOSE OF HIS VISIT TO PEKING LATER THIS WEEK. BEATTY SAID HE HAD RECENTLY VISITED PEKING AND HAD BEEN STRUCK BY THE PROMOTION OF PRODUCTS MADE IN TAIWAN AND HONG KONG. HE HAD HOSTED THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG'S VISIT TO CANADA AND BEEN IMPRESSED BY HIS PLANS TO EXTEND DEMOCRACY. WHEN JOE CLARK HAD VISITED HONG KONG RECENTLY HE HAD EXPRESSED STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS AND BEATTY SAID HE FULLY INTENDED TO MAINTAIN THAT LINE.
AFRICA
7. THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAID THAT HE AND BEATTY MUST KEEP IN TOUCH ON AFRICAN ISSUES, PARTICULARLY SOUTH AFRICA AND NIGERIA. HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT NIGERIA. THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR THE COMMONWEALTH, WHICH HAD AT LAST FOUND A ROLE IN
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