TNAG-0779-FCO40-983-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 91

CONFIDENTIAL

REMAINS EFFECT OF CHANGES ON THIRD COUNTRIES, ALTHOUGH IT IS T EXPECTED THAT OVERALL EFFECTS WILL BE HARMFUL TO ASEAN COUNTRIES OTHER THAN SINGAPORE AND THEY MAY WELL BE HELPFUL TO INDIA.

DETAILED REPORT FOLLOWS EARLY NEXT WEEK.

5. THE AUSTRALIANS SAID THEY COULD NOT SENSIBLY APPROACH OTHER

COUNTRIES UNTIL THEY WERE SURE OF OUR SUPPORT IN PRINCIPLE. WE THEREFORE UNDERTOOK TO SUBMIT THEIR PROPOSALS TO MINISTERS URGENTLY. WE MAY WELL NEED FURTHER ADVICE FROM POSTS CONCERNED IN

PREPARATION FOR THIS.

6. AGREEMENT WAS REACHED ON DRAFT OF PRESS STATEMENT TO BE MADE BY MR NIXON (AUSTRALIAN MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT) PROBABLY ON 26 JUNE. TEXT IN MIFT. GRATEFUL CANBERRA INFORM US OF ISSUE AND ANY CHANGES. WE SHALL NOT MAKE ANY ANNOUNCEMENT HERE BUT WILL REFER INQUIRERS TO MR NIXON'S STATEMENT. GRATEFUL ADDRESSEES IN COUNTRIES LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED TAKE ANY CONVENIENT OPPORTUNITIES TO DRAW ATTENTION TO FINAL PARAGRAPH OF TEXT.

OWEN

FILES

MAED

SWPD

SEAD

HKGD

NAD

MED

DEF D

PLANNING STAFF

PS

PS/FUS SIR A.DUFF MR.CORTAZZI MR.BUTLER MISS BROWN

MR.WEIR MR.MURRAY

PS/MR.JUDD

PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS

[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]

COPIES TO:

MR.ROGERS, C AIR/DOT.

2 CONFIDENTIAL