GR 725
PRIORITY
CYPHER CAŤ A
FI FCO 061815Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY WELLINGTON 89 OF 6 APRIL INFO HONG KONG (FOR GOVERNOR AND ECARFE)
HKK184/1
NSEX
ва
1 APR 1973
PA
50.51
194
RS & WAY
Taken
по
See 225 238
ARCHER'S LETTER 181/1 OF 8 MARCH AND YOUR ALLOT 5: UK/NEW ZEALAND AIR SERVICES TALKS.
*
1. WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR THIS REVIEW OF THE FEBRUARY TALKS IN
WELLINGTON AND HAVE NOW DISCUSSED WITH ALL CONCERNED WHAT ACTION
TO TAKE WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS BEFORE THE NEXT ROUND. AS FAR AS THE DATE FOR THESE ARE CONCERNED, WE HAVE TOLD THE NEW ZEALAND HIGH COMMISSION, FROM WHICH WE HAD AN APPROACH SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE, THAT 9-11 MAY IS ACCEPTABLE, BUT THAT WE DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THREE DAYS WILL BE ENOUGH. WE SUGGESTED THAT EDWARDS SHOULD ALLOW TIME IN HIS PROGRAMME FOR DISCUSSIONS TO CONTINUE ON 12 AND PERHAPS EVEN 13 MAY IN THE INTERESTS OF REACHING AGREEMENT PLEASE SO INFORM HEALY. (WE DID NOT TELL THE HIGH COMMISSION THAT IF THE NEW ZEALAND POSITION HAS NOT CHANGED SIGNIF- ICANTLY SINCE FEBRUARY, EVEN THREE DAYS WILL BE TOO LONG).
2. WE AGREE THAT IN THE INTERESTS OF AVOIDING A STALEMATE IN MAY, IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THIS UP AT AN APPROPRIATE
LEVEL WITH THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. THE SOONER YOU CAN DO SO THE BETTER, IF THEY ARE TO BE GIVEN TIME TO, AS WE HOPE, ERING PRESSURE TO BEAR ON THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, YOU HAVE DISCRETION
ALSO TO GO OVER THE GROUND INFORMALLY WITH HEALY AS YOU SUGGEST.
3. IN SPEAKING TO THE MFA AND TO HEALY YOU SHOULD NOT GIVE THEM ANY
REASON TO SUPPOSE THAT WE ARE READY TO MOVE FROM OUR POSITION. THE NEW ZEALANDERS ARE TOUGH NEGOTIATIORS AND WILL BE EAGERLY LOCKING FOR ANY SIGN OF WEAKENING ON OUR PART. RATHER WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD STRESS THE FOLLOWING POINTS WHICH ROGERS MADE IN
WELLINGTON:
A. THE UK IS WILLING FOR BA TO CONTINUE ITS MARGINALLY PROFIT- ABLE SERVICE BETWEEN LX AND NEW ZEALAND ON THE DIRECT ROUTE (1.ES
NEXT WORD
CONIIDENTIAL /NE
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