TNAG-0632-FCO40-780-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-on-Hong-Kong-negotiat-1977 — Page 47

GPS 370

IMMEDIATE

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FM UKMIS GENEVA 051748Z

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TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 649 OF 05 DECEMBER

INFO ROUTINE UKREP BRUSSELS.

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HKK 121 1616/1

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MIPT:

GATT TEXTILES COMMITTEE

1.

THE

THE COMMITTEE MET IN FULL SESSION THIS AFTERNOON.

MITTEE CHAIRMAN (LONG) GAVE A SHORT RESUME OF EVENTS SINCE LAST DECEMBER. IN RESPONCE TO A QUESTION FROM TRAN HE SAID THAT ON 13 AUGUST THE AMERICANS HAD REQUESTED THE OPENING OF A PROTOCAL FOR RENEWAL OF THE MFA BASED ON COM/TEX/W/44. THE TEXT OF THIS PROTOCOL, WHICH WAS FOR SIGNATURE FROM 15 DECEMBER, WAS TO BE SUBMITTED LATER, ALTHOUGH LONG DID NOT MAKE CLEAR WHETHER HE HAD RECEIVED A TEXT.

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THE DISCUSSION WHICH FOLLOWED WAS VERY BRIEF AND LOW-KEY. YUGOSLAVIA ASKED SUPPLYING SOUNTRIES WHO HAD BEEN NEGOTIATING WITH THE EEC TO GIVE A REPORT, AND ASKED THE COMMISSION WHETHER THE EEC COULD NOW DECLARE ITS POSITION ON THE RENEWAL OF THE MFA. ONLY INDIA COMMENTED, IN GENERAL TERMS, ABOUT THE EEC'S NEGOTIATING POLICY WHICH THEY FELF CALLED FOR DISCUSSION. IN PARTICULAR INDIA FELT THAT THE COMMUNITY'S PROBLEMS, WHICH MANY EXPORTING COUNTRIES HAD RECOGNISED IN THEIR BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS, WERE OF

A TEMPORARY NATURE AND THEREFORE CALLED FOR A TEMPORARY SOLUTION. ANOTHER POINT OF IMPORTANCE, PARTICULARLY FOR INDIA, WAS THAT AGREE- MENTS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE MAIN FIBRES EXPORTED BY THE SUPPLYING COUNTRY IN QUESTION. TRAN SAID HE WOULD BEAR THE INDIAN REQUEST /FOR

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