TNAG-0538-FCO40-633-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 65

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CONFIDENTIAL

12. I propose to reply to the Secretary General of NATO along the

lines of the draft attached at Annex C; and to include in the

forthcoming Defence White Paper the draft passage at Annex D on

the question of consultations with our Allies.

13. There may be pressure from the Allies to make public the

exchanges with the Secretary General of NATO. We have agreed firmly to resist the idea of a public statement by NATO at this

stage;

and I believe that we should continue to press on NATO the wisdom of maintaining the confidentiality of the consultations

until the publication of the Defence White Paper. Even then I

would hope that NATO would not wish to take issue with us at least

in detail over our definitive decisions; and I would make sure that

the passage in the Defence White Paper on NATO consultations was

generally acceptable to the Alliance. However, against the

possibility of NATO's insisting on publishing the Secretary General's

letter, my reply at Annex C has been drafted with an eye to possible publication eventually.

Recommendations

14. I recommend that the Committee should:-

Non-NATO consultationa

a

b.

0.

take note of the progress of the non-NATO consultations;

agree that, pending the outcome of consultations with the

United States, reductions in our forces in Cyprus should

take place on the lines indicated in paragraph

take note that a further paper on Cyprus will be

submitted to the Committee in the light of the outcome

of those consultations;

above;

6

CONDERLA