TNAG-0511-FCO40-576-Visits-of-ships-from-Soviet-Union-to-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 17

11?

CODE 18-77

1

LOOSE MINUTE

NOT OF MEETING

79

1. Din fodding piss speak

I

think we should Cassett Hang 16s about the implications today at his/

Fr Semenov, Counsellor at the USSR Embassy called on ne to discuss the Russian proposal, now circulated by Ico, to draw up a Convention on the Requirements of Marine Vessels in Fogn Ports. Mr Wilkins was present.

6/9

request

Mr Semenov referred to the attempts in the 1920's and 30's to codify the relationship between foreign ships and port authorities; with the increase of international shipping and the number of maritime countries it was even more important to achieve a single code of behaviour. Without such a code it was inevitable that instances of unnecessary intervention occurred. Asked for examples, he said that there had been a number of cases of difficulty between British authorities and Russian ships, whore he admit ed misunderstanding had arisen on both sides. There were of course others and he quoted incidents in Canadian, Chinese and Libyan ports. In the latter case, port authorities had sought to inspect the master's safe, even though all the documentation was in order. Such difficulties could only be to the detriment of the movement of international shipping and he hoped that the UK, as a major maritime trading nation, could support the Russian initiative. The matter would be discussed at the IMCO Council meeting in October, but he hoped it would be possible to arrange bilateral discussions either in Moscow or London to take the matter further. The Soviet Union were approaching a number of other countries wit similar maritimo interests with the same suggestion.

I said that a number of different Departments were concerned and we were not yet in a position to react to the Russian proposals. The Department of Trade's interest was twofold: ensuring freedom of movement of international commercial shipping on the one hand and on the other maintaining adequate control in the fields of safety and pollution. As regards the latter we placed importance on the rights to intervene and detain: if anything pressure was growing to exercise those rights in the case of flags of convenience. The Department of Trade would take account of Mr Semenov's approach in its contribution to the formulation of HMG's view.

We also briefly discussed:

a) on my initiative the ICO Solas Conference;

b) on his initiative Caracas, where r Semenov good-naturedly suggested that the UK had taken too 'defeatist' a line, especially regarding the rights of navigation in straits, to which the Soviet Union paid special significance.

SN Burbridge

By Enti.

In Ambwink

2 Cury to PUSO

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TO EESO

NAD

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my better & draft Convention 4 M. Willians

CHRIOD 5 M Willi

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419.

Mr McQueen

Mr Hargreaves Mr Preston (Sol) Mr Wilmsley

Mr Wilkins Mrs Wicks o.r. Mr Pendleton FCOL