TNAG-0780-FCO40-984-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 98

A

Miss Brown

Mr Butler

PS/Mr Judd

CONFIDENTIAL

:

JKK 184/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 0. 51

1 AUG 1978

DERK OFFICER INDEX

PA

• RY

Ri

Action Ten

HR/GD

A Thigh

450

√227/7

UK/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES

مكم

لله

445

There S, one point in Mr Dell's letter of 26 July to Mr Judd

which we need to challenge immediately. Mr Dell writes that "we

shall not enter into any final agreement with the Australians

until the ASEAN countries have been consulted. We shall ensure

that the Australians are aware that the discussions are being held

to this basis". But this implies that Yo Logere vill1 be auctorised

to go much further than is contemplated in the statement which

Ministers have now approved and which is being handed to the Aus-

tralians today. It could leave him free to reach agreement in

principle on the Australian proposals subject only to "final"

approval by Ministers in the light of the Australian approaches

to third countries. If he went this far, our ability to retreat

if the reaction of third countries was tough would have been pre-

judiced. Ministers have agreed that we should avoid this happening.

2. I recommend that Mr Judd take this point up with Mr Dell.

I submit a draft letter. This ought if possible to reach Mr Dell

by lunchtime since Mr Rogers is leaving for Canberra in the evening.

3. We are considering separately what action if any needs to be

taken on the last paragraph of Mr Dell's letter: the question

CONFIDENTIAL

/of