TNAG-0780-FCO40-984-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 214

Registry

No.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

DRAFT

LETTER

Top Secret,

Secret.

Confidential.

Restricted.

GGB

Unclassified. 14/7

PRIVACY MARKING

To:-

GT Rogers Esq Room 535

Department of Trade

1 Victoria Street

LONDON SW 1

UK AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES

In Confidence

Type 1 +

From

Telephone No. Ext.

Department

DSR 11

1. As agreed, I have been reflecting on the points we discussed yesterday viz., your wish to have a second meeting with the Australians before they talk to third countries and my view that this would be unwise.

2. You made the point that there was agreement with the Australians to meet again "as soon as possible" and I fully accept that they may be expecting such a meeting il the immediate future. You also indicated your fear that if you were not able to put some additional points to the Australians at this stage they might reach an advanced state of agreement with some of the third countries in a way which would weaken our bargaining position.

I hope

I have reflected your points correctly.

3. I explained that, in our view, there was a serious risk of the whole operation turning very sour if we were appear to be ganging up with the Australians before they talked to the mid-point countries and that a second roun of talks would give the impression that we were already committed in principle. The Australians have already go. further than was agreed at the first round of talks by indicating in an Aide Memoire for circulation to all ASEAN member-countries that they wished to talk to them "as soon as practicable after the completion of negotiation with the British on air services between Australia and the United Kingdom". I indicated that I thought it perfectly possible for our High Commission in Canberra to tell the Australians, when handing over the proposed message, that we considered it would be unwise to have another meeting at this stage, since it could well be misunderstood by third countries, but we would look forward to meeting them as soon as they were able

/to report