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4. MR HAMEED SAID THAT HE WAS TOURING COMMUNITY CAPITALS TO PRESENT SRI LANKA'S CASE, HE HAD ALREADY VISITED LUXEMBOURG AND THE FRG AND WAS GOING ON TO IRELAND AND FRANCE. DURING HIS VISIT TO THE FRG, HERR GENSCHER HAD PRONOUNCED HIMSELF CONVINCED OF THE NEED TO HELP SRI LANKA AND HAD ADVISED THEM TO ENLIST THE SUPPORT OF THE UK AS THE NATURAL ADVOCATE FOR COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES. I GAVE A COMMITMENT THAT WE WOULD CONSULT WITH THE GERMANS TO SEE
IF ANYTHING COULD BE DONE.
5. GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD NOW SPEAK TO THE GERMAN ADMINISTRATION AT AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL ON THE LINES OF PARAS 6 TO 8 BELOW.
6. THE SRI LANKA FOREIGN MINISTER CALLED ON THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY ON 23 NOVEMBER TO PRESS HIS COUNTRY'S CASE FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT IN THE CURRENT BILATERAL TEXTILE NEGOTIATIONS. HE SAID THAT DURING HIS TOUR OF COMMUNITY CAPITALS HE HAD SPOKEN TO HERR GENSCHER WHO HAD PRONOUNCED HIMSELF CONVINCED OF SRI LANKA'S CASE FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT. HE HAD ADVISED THE SRI LANKANS TO ENLIST UK SUPPORT SINCE THE UK WAS THE NATURAL
ADVOCATE FOR COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES.
7. THE SECRETARY OF STATE EXPLAINED THE DIFFICULTIES INVOLVED IN OBTAINING BETTER TREATMENT FOR SRI LANKA'S MOST IMPORTANT PRODUCTS,. SHIRTS AND BLOUSES. WE SAID IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT SRI LANKA WAS. TRYING TO EXPAND HER PRODUCTION OF THESE PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE PRODUCTS WHEN THE COMMUNITY HAD TO RESTRICT IMPORTS OVERALL OF THESE PRODUCTS. WE ALSO STRESSED THAT THERE WAS NO CHANCE OF BRITISH MINISTERS AGREEING TO A SOLUTION FOR SRI LANKA WHICH WOULD INVOLVE AN INCREASE IN THE OVERALL CEILINGS IN GROUP 1. CONSEQUENTLY, THE ONLY WAY TO GET DETTER TREATMENT FOR SRI LANKA WAS TO APPLY EVEN STERNER CUTS TO THE DOMINANT SUPPLIERS. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SUGGESTED THAT THE ONLY POSSIBLE AVENUE WAS TO APPLY SUCH CUTS TO SOUTH KOREA AND TAIWAII. THE UK COULD NOT AGREE TO FURTHER CUTS ON
HONG KONG.
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18. THE FOREIGN
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