GR 400
TRIORITY
CYPHER CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
20
RC:
FM FCO 121735Z
CONFIDENTIAL
21
(HKK 021/1)
TC.
BU will
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 636 OF 12 AUGUST
INFO PEKING MOSCOW MODUK
MIPT
FOR POLITICAL ADVISER.
22/8
CLEARANCE FOR SOVIET RESEARCH VESSEL QUOTE DMITRY MENDELEYEV UNQUOTE TO VISIT HONG KONG
1. THE SOVIET EMBASSY HERE HAVE PUT IN A WRITTEN REQUEST FOR PERMISSION FOR THE SOVIET SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH VESSEL QUOTE DMITRY MENDELEYEV UN QUOTE TO VISIT HONG KONG FROM 31 OCTOBER TO 3 NOVEMBER IN ORDER TO QUOTE REPLENISH SHIP'S SUPPLIES UNQUOTE. ACCORDING TO THE SOVIET EMBASSY'S NOTE, THE SHIP IS CARRYING OUT WORK QUOTE IN THE INTERNATIONAL PROJECT TO STUDY THE REGION OF THE KURCSTO CURRENT UNQUOTE. THE SHIP HAS A DISPLACEMENT OF 6,960 TONS, IS 125 METRES LONG AND HAS A DRAUGHT OF 6 METRES. THE SOVIET EMBASSY'S NOTE SAYS THAT THE EXACT DATE AND TIME OF THE SHIP'S ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG WILL BE COMMUNICATED BY THE CAPTAIN TO THE PORT AUTHORITIES IN DUE COURSE.
2. IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE LETTERS THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF SOVIET OCEANOGRAPHERS HAS WRITTEN TO MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY (PARAGRAPH 1 OF MIPT) MAY HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO PAVE THE WAY FOR THE PROPOSED VISIT OF THE QUOTE · DMITRY MENDELEYEV UNQUOTE TO HONG KONG.
3. YOU WILL RECALL THAT WHEN THE SOVIET EMBASSY MADE A SIMILAR REQUEST IN RESPECT OF THE QUOTE DMITRY MENDELEYEV UNQUOTE LAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE USE OF VARIOUS AD HOC ARGUMENTS WITH THE ROYAL SOCIETY WHEN TURNING DOWN THE REQUEST. (MY TELNO 539 OF 29 JUNE 1976.) THESE ARGUMENTS WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE TO US THIS TIME AND THE SOVIET EMBASSY HAVE GIVEN MUCH LONGER NOTICE THAN THEY DID LAST TIME OF THE SHIP'S WISH TO CALL AT HONG KONG. NOR, IT SEEMS, WOULD THERE BE ANY MILEAGE IN SEEKING TO ARGUE THAT THE SHIP'S RESEARCH WORK IN THE AREA OF THE KUROSIO CURRENT MAKES IT UNREASONABLE TO PROPOSE CALLING IN AT HONG KONG. EVEN
CONFIDENTIAL
/SO, WE
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