CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET
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REGISTRY N. 51
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-8 JUN 1977
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VISIT OF NS OPTO HAHN TO HONG KONG
1.
You may recall the problems which arose over liability when the nuclear powered merchant ship "Otto Hahn" visited Southampton last autumn. It is now proposed that the "Otto Hahn" visit Hong Kong and I would be grateful for your views on the arrangements which would be necessary in this case.
2.
I attach the relevant Energy Department files which contain the papers relating to the previous visit. We passed to the Germans a draft Note on 26 July 1976. The Germans gave provisional agreement (BORN TUNC 743), but suggested that Third Person Notes should be used. They subsequently provided an alternative draft (BONN TELNOS 773 & 774).
Mr Wilmshurst minuted to you about this on 16 August 1976 and you replied on 18 August. Outstanding problems were the figure of compensation available, and the number of visits covered by the Note. we subsequently agreed that the Note need not specify a single visit, and that the Brussels Convention figure of approximately DM340 million (1500 million gold francs) would be satisfactory. The Germans then sent the Note to our Embassy in Bonn. The text was as in ) above, with the minor amendment in BONN LNO 946.
3.
On this occasion, and subject to your views, I would like to agree to the Hong Kong's Government's suggestion, (paragraph 2 of Mir Drace-Francis's letter of 3 May to me) that they reply to the approach recently made to them by the German Consulate General in Hong Kong along the lines of the draft enclosed with fir Drace-Francis's letter. Sub-paragraph (b) of this refers to the exchange of notes between our Embassy in Bonn and the Federal German Foreign Ministry. I would be grateful to know whether this note requires amendment and whether Mr Drace-Francis's draft reply is adequate in this respect?
2 June 1977
T J David
Hong Kong & General Dept
CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET
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