CYPHER/CAT A. PRIORITY DELHI TELEGRAM NO.2371
CONFIDENTIAL
NEUTRAL
CONFIDENTIAL
же
Tariff Jele
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
4 DECEMBER 1969
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No. 51
- S DEC 1969
HICKORY 6
ADDRESSED TO FCO TELNO 2371 OF 4 DECEMBER REPEATED FOR INFORMATION
TO BOMBAY
YOUR TELNO 12961 COTTON TEXTILE TALKS.
LAST
R*-
165
BE
MY MIFT CONTAINS TEXT OF AGREED COMMUNIQUE WHICH WILL ISSUED TO PRESS HERE TOMORROW, FRIDAY AFTERNOON INDIAN TIME.
2. SINCE THIS IS INTENDED PRIMARILY FOR INDIAN CONSUMPTION IT NECESSARILY INCLUDES SUMMARY OF INDIAN POSITION AS STATED BY THEIR MINISTER IN PARLIAMENT ON 28 JULY ON WHICH INDIANS HAVE, AS WOULD BE EXPECTED, YIELDED NOTHING.
3. WE JUDGED IT NEITHER NECESSARY NOR HELPFUL TO PRESS FOR
SUMMARY OF OUR ARGUMENTS IN REBUTTAL IN PRESS COMMUNIQUE. AN AGREED
CONFIDENTIAL RECORD COVERS ARGUMENTS DEPLOYED BY EACH SIDE
IN FULL.
4. IN DISCUSSIANS INDIANS HAVE MADE GREAT PLAY WITH THE ARGUMENT THAT
·
WHAT WE PROPOSE IS LIKELY TO BE OUT OF LINE WITH THE PROTECTIVE
REGIME OF THE EEC AND THAT IN VIEW OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
NEGOTIATIONS WITH EEC STARTING NEXT YEAR WE SHOULD SUSPEND OR
ABANDON PROPOSAL IN PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT. IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WE HAVE GIVEN INDIANS NO HOPE THAT THIS COULD BE CONSIDERED, BUT WE HAVE ACCEPTED THAT THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE URGENCY TO PRESS FOR WAIVER OF OUR TRADE AGREEMENT OBLIGATIONS, WE SHOULD HAVE PREFERRED THE COMMUNIQUE TO REFER SIMPLY TO AGREEMENT TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS BUT INDIANS WERE STRONGLY INSISTENT ON ADDITION OF WORDS QUOTE WITH A VIEW TO ARRIVING AT A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION UNQUOTE. FOR THE INDIANS THIS COVERS THEIR HOPE THAT THEY MAY YET PERSUADE US TO MODIFY OR ABANDON OUR PROPOSAL, BUT WE COULD HARDLY STAND CUT AGAINST THIS OR SIMILAR WORDS SINCE THEY CAN EQUALLY BE INTERPRETED AS COVERING THE AGREED RELEASE FROM CUR TRADE AGREEMENT
CONFIDENTIAL
/OBLIGATIONS
عي
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