TNAG-0628-FCO40-776-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-on-Hong-Kong-negotiat-1977 — Page 16

IMMEDIATE

GRPS 1040

CYPHER CAT A

FM UKMIS GENEVA 251349 Z

/FRAME FILES/

RESTRICTED

RESTRICTED

RE

26 JUL 1977

P/A.

HKK 121 616

F

TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 398 OF 25 JULY

128,

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP BRUSSELS AND BERMUDA (PERSONAL FOR MR DELL)

MFA NEGOTIATIONS

131

1. AT A SHORT CO-ORDINATION MEETING OF THE ARTICLE 113 COMMITTEE AT

3 PM ON SUNDAY 24 JULY PRIOR TO THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE THE COMMISSION (HOFFMAN) GAVE A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THAT MORNING'S MEETING OF COREFER (TELNO 4845 FROM UKREP BRUSSELS) AND ANNOUNCED THE INTENTION OF THE COMMISSION TO ACCEPT SANS RESERVATION THE US/COMMISSION/JAPAN TRI-

PARTITE TEXT IN THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE LATER THAT DAY. THE COMMISS-

ION WOULD THEN INFORM THE PRESS THE NEXT DAY OF ITS INTENTIONS TO

MOVE IMMEDIATELY INTO BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS AND OF ITS INTENTIONS

TO ASSESS THEREAFTER WHETHER OR NOT THE COMMUNITY WOULD SIGN A

RENEWED MFA. FRANCE (COLMANT) ANNOUNCED INTENTIONS OF MAKING A SEPARATE STATEMENT, NOTING IN PASSING THAT THE MAJORITY OF MEMBER STATES WERE AGAINST THE CONTENTS OF THE TRIPARTITE TEXT, PARTICU-

LARLY PARAGRAPH 9. THE REST OF THE SHORT MEETING WAS TAKEN UP WITH DISCUSSION ON THE RELEVANCE, APPLICABILITY OR LEGALITY OF UNILATERAL

STATEMENTS.

2. AT THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE WITCH FOLLOWED (4 PM SUNDAY 24 JULY) THE COMMITTEE HAD BEFORE IT TWO PAPERS: (1) COM,TEXT/W/43 DRAFT CHAIRMAN'S SUMMING-UP -- PAPER CIRCULATED AT THE REUGEST OF BRAZIL AND INDIA, AND (2) COM.TEX/W/44 - PAPER CIRCULATED AT THE REQUEST OF THE UNITED STATES (THE TRIPARTITE TEXT).

3. IN THE DISCUSSIONS, OPINIONS WERE SHARPLY DIVIDED AS TO THE MERITS AND DEMERITS OF EITHER TEXT. THE US (SMITH) OPENED THE

DISCUSSIONS URGING THE ACCEPTANCE BY THE COMMITTEE OF DOC 44

AND REQUESTING THE DRAWING-UP OF A PROTOCOL FOR THE EXTENSION FROM THE 15 DECEMBER OF THE MFA IN ITS PRESENT FORM, TRAN (COMMISSION)

RESTRICTED

/STATED