TNAG-0429-FCO40-494-Programme-Analysis-and-Review-(PAR)-Future-of-Dependent-Terr-1974 — Page 135

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INDIAN OCEAN

Aldab.

Chagos

CONFIDENTIAL

Seychelles

(? oil) (? oil)

.

(? oil and some fish)

1

PACIFIC

Solomon Islands

Gilbert and Ellice

Islands

辈

(? oil and some fish) (Some fish and possible proximity to manganese nodules)

2. BAT, Aldabra, Chagos, Falkland Island

have already been identified

-Dependencies and St Helena/Ascension/in the 1973

PAR as worth holding on to. This survey appears

to reinforce that conclusion.

Belize

3. BAT, and the Falkland Islands could not be

1

exploited by Britain without contravening existing

treaties or raising major political difficulties

with other claimants. There might also be

trouble over rival claims to the resources in

the EEZ of Chagos and Turks and Caicos.

4. The Solomons and the Caribbean associated

states are already moving towards independence

and it would be difficult, even if their

resources proved to be substantial, to reverse

the process.

!

5. This leaves the Virgin Islands, Cayman,

Montserrat, Turks and Caicos, Seychelles and

parts of the Gilbert and Ellice group whose

future might, in the light of more detailed

information about their resources, need to be

reconsidered.

Only in the case of the Sychelles

will we need to take a decision in the fairly

decision

CONFIDENTIAL

/near

!

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