TNAG-0780-FCO40-984-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 217

GR 680

PRIORITY

CYPHER/CAT A

FM FCO 141800Z

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

7

HKK 184/1

INDEX

PC: 1973

RY

Acton TexỆN

No

Bea (4+12

นา 417

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG (GOVERNOR AND DCARFE) TEL NO 550 OF 14 JULY

1978 AND TO PRIORITY JAKARTA

INFO SINGAPORE KUALA LUMPUR

UK/INDONESIA AIR SERVICES JAKARTA TELNO ALLOT 6

1. WE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING WHETHER TO SEEK A POSTPONEMENT OF

TALKS WITH INDONESIA IN THE LIGHT OF THE PRESENT UNCERTAINTLY

OVER THE CONTINUING NEED FOR FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS FROM THE

INDONESIANS FOR CPA BETWEEN KUALA LUMPUR AND JAKARTA AND BETWEEN

JAKARTA AND PERTH.

2. IT IS VIRTUALLY CERTAIN THAT WE SHALL NOT KNOW BY 7-9 AUGUST WHETHER FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS TO PERTH FROM JAKARTA (OR FROM SINGAPORE) ARE GOING TO BE AVAILABLE INDEFINITELY FROM THE AUSTRALIANS. EQUALLY IT NOW SEEMS UNLIKELY IN THE LIGHT OF THE DELAYS IN SIA'S RE-EQUIPMENT PLANS HONG KONG TEL NO 876) THAT

WE SHALL KNOW IN TIME WHETHER THE SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT IS GOING

TO CONFIRM THE FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS BEYOND SINGAPORE TO PERTH.

3. WE SHOULD NOT THEREFORE KNOW WHETHER TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE INDONESIANS ON THE BASIS OF A CONTINUING NEED FOR FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA AND JAKARTA/PERTH.

4. THE ALTERNATIVES THEREFORE SEEM TO BE EITHER (A) TO POSTPONE THE TALKS AND SUGGEST A CONTINUATION OF THE STATUS QUO UNTIL SAY 31 MARCH 1979 OR UNTIL NEW ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED WHICHEVER IS THE EARLIER OR (B) TO TAKE A CHANCE THAT FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS BETWEEN KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA AND JAKARTA/PERTH ARE NOT GOING TO BE REQUIRED IN THE LONGER TERM AND TO FOREGO THEM AT THE NEGOTIATIONS. (THERE WOULD STILL NEED TO BE DECIDED

CONFIDENTIAL

AWHETHER