TNAG-0150-FCO40-186-Consular-endorsements-of-certificates-of-origin-for-United-A-1969 — Page 4

JHR file.

K271

CYPHER/CAT A

CONFIDENTIAL

PRIORITY UK MISSION GENEVA TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 6444

CONFIDENTIAL

NEUTRAL

25:

NOVEMBER 1969

ADDSD TO F C O TEL NO 644 OF 25 NOVEMBER REPTD FOR INFMN TO CAIRO TEL AVIV AND SAVING TO UKDEL E E C BRUSSELS AND WASHINGTON.

U AR ACCESSION TO GATT.

AT AN INFORMAL MEETING YESTERDAY ON ANOTHER SUBJECT LONG WAS ASKED BY THRANE (DENMARK) AS CHAIRMAN OF THE G A T T COUNCIL TO GIVE SOME BACKGROUND TO THE ISSUE OF AIRGRAM 759, DATED 18 NOVEMBER. (THIS CALLS FOR A MEETING OF THE ACCESSION WORKING PARTY ON 22/23 JANUARY AND PREPARATORY WORK IN DECEMBER). WHY HAD A DATE BEEN SET AT ALL AND, IN ANY CASE, WHY SO SOON?

2. LONG EXPLAINED THAT AFTER A FURTHER U A R APPROACH IN THE LATE SUMMER, THE SECRETARIAT HAD TAKEN INFORMAL SOUNDINGS AND HAD CONCLUDED THAT ALTHOUGH NO-ONE WAS ENTHUSIASTIC FOR THE WORKING PARTY TO MEET, EQUALLY NONE WOULD FLATLY OPPOSE. HE HAD, HOWEVER, WARNED THE U AR REPRESENTATIVE HERE THAT, SINCE THE VIEWS OF CONTRACTING PARTIES ON THE BASIC ISSUES HAD NOT CHANGED, THE WORKING PARTY WOULD INEVITABLY RUN INTO SERIOUS PRO- BLEMS, BOTH POLITICAL AND OF G A T T PRINCIPLE, AND ASKED HIN TO CONVEY THIS TO HIS AUTHORITIES AND SEEK FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS, DESPITE THIS THE WAR HAD INSISTED THAT A MEETING SHOULD BE CALLED SOON AND LONG HAD NOT FELT ABLE TO REFUSE THIS REQUEST

ONCE AGAIN.

3. THRANE SAID THAT NO NORDIC COUNTRY HAD BEEN CONSULTED. THE LOCAL E C AND FRENCH REPRESENTATIVES INDICATED THAT THEY WERE IN THE SAME POSITION BUT LONG INSISTED THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD BEEN APPROACHED (PERHAPS IN BRUSSELS). THRANE THEN POINTED OUT THAT THE PROCEDURE AND TIMETABLE PROPOSED IN THE AIRGRAH WAS MUCH MORE HASTY THAN IN OTHER RECENT ACCESSION CASES AND HINTED THAT IT MIGHT PROVE IMPOSSIBLE FOR CONTRACTING PARTIES TO MEET THESE DATES.

CONFIDENTIAL

R TRY No.51

90V 1969

LAST

REF.

NEAT

KLF.

(16)

PA pl. 69 HKK6/322/

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/4. GIVEN