нио HUD 345/5
RECE!
3 OSEP 1993
OFFICE
INDEX
CONFIDENTIAL
File
23'
FROM:
PF Ricketts
OSIMY
tion løken
Hong Kong Department
DATE:
24 September 1993
CC: Mr Hum
Mr Appleyard
HONG KONG/SPAIN: IMPOSITION OF VISA REGIME ON HONG KONG VISITORS
1.
you.
We spoke about the Spanish Ambassador's telephone call to
The Embassy subsequently followed up with us.
2.
We have not so far been able to persuade the Spaniards to
change their minds about suspending the special arrangements
in force since 1988 which allowed Hong Kong visitors travelling on British passports to enter Spain without visas. You will recall that the Spaniards have told us that they will require visas for Hong Kong visitors from 1 October and that they have sought to claim that this is an obligation under the Schengen Convention. We are sending a telegram over the weekend to seek views from Hong Kong and Madrid on whether we
should make one last effort to press the Spaniards to delay
implementation of the new arrangements. Depending on reponses, we may need to take up your offer to raise this matter again with Villar in the margins of the UNGA. If this proves to be the case, we will send you a self-contained briefing telegram. In case we do, you might find it useful to have the attached telegrams as a small kit on the subject.
Pilichath
PF Ricketts
min.poldir.NAT
JEB
CONFIDENTIAL