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3. THE COMMISSION WISELY DECLINED TO BE DRAWN INTO ANY KIND OF REPLY. BUT THIS PREVIEW OF WHAT IS IN STORE AT NEXT WEEK'S TEXTILES COMMITTS MUST CAST DOUBT ON THE VIABILITY OF TRAN'S NOTIONS CF MAINTAINING A LOW PROFILE AND RESTRICTING THE MEETING TO A DAY AND A HALF AT THE MOST (UKREP BRUSSELS TELNOS 7149 AND 7227). IT BECAME CLEAR IN PRIVATE CONVERSATION AFTERWARDS WITH HAMZA (EGYPT) WHO HAD JUST RETURNED FROM BRUSSELS, AND KUMAR (INDIA) THAT THE EXPORTERS HAVE ONLY THE VAGUEST IDEAS AT THIS STAGE AS TO HOW TO PLAY THE MEETING, WHICH IS FORMALLY CONVENED SIMPLY QUOTE TO CONTINUE WITH THE DISCUSSION ON THE FUTURE OF THE ARRANG EMENT UNQUOTE. SOME OF THEM APPEAR JUST TO BE HOPING THAT SOMETHING WILL TURN UP - HAMZA FOR EXAMPLE REMARKED THAT THEY WERE RELYING ON MOVEMENT FROM WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, HOPEFULLY AT THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL. HE ALSO SEEMED TO BE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE COMMISSION'S NEGOTIATING MANDATE EXPIRED AT THE END OF NOVEMBER. WHAT DOES SEEM CERTAIN IS THAT THE EXPORTERS WILL WISH TO VENT THEIR GRIEVANCES, ESSENTIALLY AGAINST THE COMMUNITY, AND FOCUSSING NOT
SO MUCH ON THE SPECIFICS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS EXPECT TO THE EXTENT
THAT FIGURES MAY DE HAULED IN TO ILLUSTRATE THE BRUTALITY OF THE
COMMUNITY'S ATTITUDE -AS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY'S OVERALL APPROVAL
AND THE QUOTE LEGALITY UNQUOTE THEREOF (THE INDIANS IN PARTICULAR
DO NOT REGARD THE JUIDICAL ASPECTS AS QUOTE MINOR UNQUOTE AND ·
ABOUT THE CRUDELY BULLYING TACTS (THEIR LANGUAGE) FOLLOWED BY
TRAN AND EXTENSIVELY ADVERTISED IN THE PRESS. THIS WOULD MAKE THEM
FEEL BETTER, BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY WOULD BE DESIGNED TO BRING
MAXIMUM PRESSURE TO BEAR ON THE COMMUNITY TO BECOME MORE QUOTE
REASONABLE UNQUOTE. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES PERHAPS THE MOST
LIKELY OUTTURN IS A RANCOROUS 36 HOURS FOLLOWED BY A BREAK
UNTIL THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ABLE TO MAKE UP ITS MIND AS TO THE FUTURE OF THE MFA, PRESUMABLY AT THE DECEMBER FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL.
FCO PASS ADVANCE COPIES TO:-
FCO STERN (EID(E))
CAB HARRIS
ΠΟΥ
RIDLEY, HUDSON, MISS LOWNE, BROWI, FARRY DOT GRAY, MISS MACFARLANE.
BOTTOMLEY.
[ADVANCED AS REQUESTED]
FRAME EXTERNAL
EID (E)
ADDITIONAL DISTN
FRAME
2
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