XN000022-1983-11-29 — Page 3

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1983

TEXTILE TALKS WITH NORWAY RESUMING

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HONG KONG AND NORWAY WILL RESUME TALKS IN HONG KONG TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) TO NEGOTIATE A BILATERAL TEXTILE AGREEMENT.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRADE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT SINCE THE PREVIOUS HONG KONG-NORWAY TEXTILE AGREEMENT EXPIRED AT THE END OF 1977, HONG KONG'S EXPORTS OF NINE TEXTILE AND GARMENT ITEMS TO NORWAY HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO IMPORT CONTROL.

+DURING THE LAST TWO ROUNDS OF TALKS HELD IN APRIL AND

JUNE THIS YEAR, SOME PROGRESS WAS MADE BUT THERE WAS STILL A WIDE GAP BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES ON A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT ISSUES,+ THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

THE HONG KONG DELEGATION WILL BE LED BY THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, AND THE NORWEGIAN SIDE BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, MINISTRY OF TRADE AND SHIPPING, MR BJORN OESTERN.

PUBLIC-SPIRITED PEOPLE THANKED FOR DONATIONS

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THE ACTING CHIEF SECRETARY, MR DENIS BRAY, TODAY PAID TRIBUTE TO THE MANY PUBLIC-SPIRITED PEOPLE WHO WERE ALWAYS READY TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS PUBLIC PROJECTS, AND THANKED IN PARTICULAR THOSE WHO HAD GIVEN GENEROUSLY TO THE BUILDING OF THE QUEEN ELIZABETH STADIUM.

+THEIR EXEMPLARY ACTS WILL SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW, HE SAID.

SPEAKING AT THE UNVEILING OF A COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE AT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH STADIUM, MR BRAY SAID BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE URBAN COUNCIL HAD WORKED HARD TO PROMOTE SPORTING, RECREATIONAL, AND CULTURAL PURSUITS IN THE COMMUNITY.

THE PLAN FOR THE STADIUM WAS DRAWN UP IN 1975 BUT IT WAS THE +MOVEMENT OF A LARGE NUMBER OF PUBLIC-SP IR ITED CITIZENS AND ORGANISATIONS THAT ARE ALWAYS READY TO DEVOTE NOT ONLY THE IR TIME AND EFFORTS BUT ALSO THEIR RESOURCES TO MANY PUBLIC

PROJECTS+ THAT A FIRM DECISION TO GO AHEAD WAS TAKEN, MR BRAY SAID.

+ONCE THE INITIATIVE WAS TAKEN THE GOVERNMENT, THE URBAN COUNCIL, OTHER PRIVATE DONORS CAME FORWARD AND THE SCHEME GOT UNDERWAY, HE ADDED.

/HR BRAT