TNAG-0237-FCO40-273-Trade-relations-between-EEC-and-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 178

CYPHER/CAT A

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EEC File'

PRIORITY UK MISSION GENEVA TO FOREIGN AND COMMON SALAH OFFICE

PRIORITY UKMISSION GENEVA TELEGRAM NO.3 TO HONG KONG OF 16 JANUARY, 1970

RESTRICTED

[ NEUTRAL]

ADDSD TO HONG KONG TELNO. 3 OF 16 JANUARY REPTD FOR INEMN TO

FCO AND BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE).

MY TELNO. 2

FROM JONES

Shull Not recorded

EEC COTTON TEXTILE TALKS

?

Is Tel Branch

QQ

IN

R CISTRY N..51

26 JAN 1970

HKK 6/6

1 MANAGED TO TELEPHONE ERNST THIS AFTERNOON. HE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM YUGOSLAVIA. I ASKED IF WE COULD BE GIVEN MAXIMUM NOTICE OF CONFIRMATION OF DATES IN BRUSSELS TELNO. 4 IN VIEW

OF DORWARD COMING FROM HONG KONG.

2. ERNST SAID HE WOULD BE HAVING A MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF MEMBER STATES ON 21 JANUARY AND HE WOULD RAISE THIS AS FIRST ITEM ON AGENDA. HE WAS PERSONALLY CONVINCED THAT MEETING SHOULD GO AHEAD AS PLANNED AS THE COMMUNITY COULD

NOT (REPEAT NOT) SEE US IN FEBRUARY AND TO POSTPONE

FIRST CONTACTS WITH HONG KONG UNTIL MARCH WOULD MAKE IT LATE. AT FIRST HE SAID HE WOULD INFORM ME (OR DODGE) IMMEDIATELY IN CASE OF DIFFICULTIES BUT THEN ADDED THAT HE CONSIDERED IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO MEET IN ANY CASE, EVEN IF IT HAD TO BE WITH THE COMMISSION ALONE. HE IMPLIED THAT HIS MAJOR DIFFICULTY WOULD BE TO GET ANY SORT OF COMMUNITY-WIDE VIEW ON QUANTITIES.

3. 1 REPLIED THAT WHAT HONG KONG WANTED AT THIS STAGE WAS PRELIMINARY CONTACTS. AS AT THE MOMENT WE HAD NO IDEA OF WHAT WAS IMPLIED IN THE PROMISES THE COMMUNITY SUBSCRIBED TO IN THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE RECENT C T C MEETING. WE NEEDED TO GET SOME IDEA IN ORDER TO HELP US FORMULATE OUR DEFINITIVE ATTITUDE TO THE EXTENSION OF THE C T A. WE WOULD ALSO IF POSSIBLE LIKE SOME ANSWERS TO THE HONG KONG POINTS IN COT/W/122. AT THIS STAGE WE WERE IN NO SENSE TRYING TO NEGOTIATE BUT ONLY TO SEEK SOME VIEW ON THE CONDITIONS OF ACCESS THE COMMUNITY MIGHT OFFER TO

HONG KONG IF THE C T A WERE EXTENDED.

RESTRICTED

/4. ERNST

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