TNAG-0281-FCO40-317-Visit-of-the-Chancellor-of-the-Duchy-of-Lancaster-to-Hong-Ko-1970 — Page 40

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CONFIDENTIAL

Document No. 21

RECORD OF MEETING BETWEEN THE RIGHT HON. GEOFFREY RIPPON, QC, M P, CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER, AND THE RIGHT HON. J. R. MARSHALL, MP, NEW ZEALAND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, AT WELLINGTON ON 21 SEPTEMBER, 1970

Present:

The Right Hon. Geoffrey Rippon, QC,

MP

HE Sir Arthur Galsworthy

Sir Con O'Neill

Mr. Tickell

The Right Hon. J. R. Marshall, (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Overseas Trade)

Mr. M. J. Moriarty (Secretary, Department of Industries and Commerce)

Mr. N. V. Lough (Deputy Secretary,

New Zealand Treasury)

Mr. G. D. L. White (Deputy Secretary,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Tactics for putting New Zealand case during EEC negotiations

Mr. Marshall asked for the closest possible consultation at every stage and on every point affecting New Zealand in the EEC negotiations. The New Zealand Government in its turn would give the fullest co-operation despite its own domestic problems. It would for example observe strict secrecy on the degree of consultation between New Zealand and Britain on the preparation of the British paper on the milk balance in an enlarged Community. Mr. Rippon agreed. What was needed was co-operation rather than consultation.

2. Mr. Marshall accepted that-whatever the new Zealand Government's domestic critics said the reality of the situation was that Britain would have to negotiate on New Zealand's behalf. The New Zealanders wanted to be associated with the British when this was being done: not perhaps in the same room, but rather as prompters. Britain would be putting what he hoped would be an agreed case to the Community. We must work together on this. The recent British paper on the milk balance in an enlarged Community was an admirable example of how to do so.

3. He understood that the expectation in Europe was that Britain would put the New Zealand case firmly and fully. This was certainly what the Dutch Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. de Koster had said on his recent visit to New Zealand; Mr. de Koster had added that if Britain did not do so, nobody else would. Mr. Rippon assured Mr. Marshall that he would certainly put the New Zealand case as firmly and fully as he could: but he wished to do so when the ground had been properly prepared and the Europeans were ready to give the New Zealand case a favourable hearing.

Mr. Marshall's visit to European capitals

4. Mr. Marshall said that it was for precisely this purpose that he proposed to make yet another round of visits to European capitals, starting in London, then going to Bonn and the rest of the Six, leaving Paris to the last, before returning

CONFIDENTIAL