TNAG-0779-FCO40-983-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 50

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PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT A

FM OTTAWA 042045Z

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 184/1

RAK

CONFIDENTIA 25 JUL 1978

DEK OFFICEH

PA

REGISTRY Action Tekan

INDEX

No

389

TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 381 OF 4 JULY 1978

INFO HONG KONG (GOVERNOR AND BCARFE)

UK CANADA AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS

YOUR TELNO 241,

1.

COUNSELLOR (ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL) DISCUSSED WITH COLL INS DEA TODAY. LATTER CONSIDERED MEETING IN JULY QUOTE TOTALLY

IMPOSSIBLE UNQUOTE. HE SAID AIRLINES REPORT HAD NOT YET BEEN RECEIVED AND IN ANY CASE SINCE IT WOULD NOT CONTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS SOME TIME WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THE CANADIAN SIDE TO PROCESS THE DATA AND REACH CONCLUSIONS.

2. COLLINS VERY RELUCTANTLY ACCEPTED POSSIBILITY OF EARLY SEPTEMBER MEETING BUT SAID CANADIANS HAD THROUGHOUT MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WERE THINKING IN TERMS OF END-SEPTEMBER. NEAL SAID HE THOUGHT

COLLINS ASKED THAT OUR OWN PROGRAMME WAS VERY TIGHT AT THAT TIME. IF WE COULD PROPOSE POSSIBLE DATES WHICH HE WOULD TRY OUT ON THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED.

3. SO FAR AS ELECTION IS CONCERNED COLLINS THOUGHT THAT CANADIANS WERE FAR ENOUGH. ALONG THE ROAD NOW FOR SUFFICIENT INSTRUCTIONS TO BE OBTAINED FROM MINISTERS TO ENABLE SERIOUS NEGOTIATIONS TO

PROCEED EVEN IN THE EVENT OF AN OCTOBER ELECTION.

FORD

FILES

MAED.

NAD.

HK & GD.

MISS BROWN.

[ COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]

CONFIDENTIAL