CONFIDENTIAL
in the kind of regional industrial projects ASEAN countries were interested in did not seem practical. Mr Oakley said the Mekong Development Project was perhaps the best way of promoting the overall US strategy of putting the war in Indo-China behind them. Other countries in the area seemed interested; the Thais, the Vietnamese and the Laos had agreed to consider reactivation of the Mekong Commission. US participation naturally depended on whether Congress would allow it. Mr Cortazzi mentioned that the Foreign Office were currently preparing a paper on relations with ASEAN. Mr Heginbotham said it would be very helpful to discuss this. Mr Cortazzi said that we might suggest closer help for the ASEAN Secretariat. Mr Oakley commented that the ASEAN countries had not yet agreed on a role for the Secretariat. Mr Holbrooke said that this was an active field for the Americans. Secretary Vance had personally ordered Mr Cooper to take a direct interest in the dialogue with ASEAN. The next US/ASEAN meeting would take place on 7 September in Manila.
Distribution
PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts
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EID (E)
FED
FRD
HKGD
NAD
Planning Staff
UND
CV Roberts, CRE, DOT SEAD
H McGhie, EJU, DOT
CRD
Econ D
SWPD
PUSD
RD(FE)
Dr Wilson, Assessments Staff,
Cabinet Office.
J A Lambert, DS11, MOD
7
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