THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1979
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+I AM VERY PLEASED TO WELCOME YOU AFTER YOUR VERY BUSY DAY OF DELIBERATIONS, INDEED IT SEEMED THE MOST PRACTICAL WAY IN WHICH I COULD DEMONSTRATE MY GREAT INTEREST IN YOUR PROCEEDINGS AND THE IMPORTANCE | ATTACH TO THIS FIRST JOINT MEETING, IT IS CLEARLY A MILESTONE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF JAPANESE/HONG KONG ECONOMIC RELATIONS.
+CONS IDER ING IT WAS ONLY LAST NOVEMBER THAT THIS COMMITTEE WAS FIRST SUGGESTED, I AM IMPRESSED BY THE SPEED WITH WHICH THIS FIRST JOINT MEETING HAS BEEN INAUGURATED. IT INDICATES THE DETERMINATION OF BOTH SIDES TO STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN JAPAN AND HONG KONG.
+SIR YUET-KEUNG KAN HAS TOLD ME THAT YOUR DISCUSSIONS WERE FRUITFUL AND THAT THREE WORKING COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN SET UP TO CARRY FORWARD PRACTICAL STUDIES. I AM SURE IT IS THE WISH OF ALL OF YOU THAT FROM THE START THESE JOINT COMMITTEE MEETINGS SHOULD TAKE AN ENTIRELY PRACTICAL FORM AND I DO CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE OUTCOME OF TODAY'S MEETING.
+ I WAS PLEASED AND TOUCHED THAT MR. SONODA SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED A MESSAGE TO THE FIRST JOINT MEETING. THE JOINT MEETINGS WERE HIS IDEA, AND I WILL HAVE MUCH PLEASURE IN WRITING TO HIM TO TELL HIM OF MY SATISFACTION OF THE OUTCOME OF THIS FIRST SESSION IN HONG KONG.
+LIKE HIM. I ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE AND EXTEND TO IT MY VERY BEST WISHES FOR ITS CONTINUING SUCCESS.+
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