TNAG-0781-FCO40-985-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 11

GPS 770

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 07220OZ

FM FCO 07183OZ DEC 78

TO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 184

RIGINALA

NO. 51

TELEGRAM NUMBER 598 OF 7 DECEMBER

AND TO SINGAPORE

DEX OFFICER

INDEX

Noto

See M2!

REK CMY

Action Tuten

INFO KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, HONG KONG (GOV AND BCARFE), JAKARTA, MANILA, DELHİ, PARIS, THE HAGUE, BONN, ROME, BELGRADE, ATHENS,

WELLINGTON.

1901

718

YOUR TELNOS 612 AND 625: UK/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES.

1. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF POINTS ARISING FROM MR NIXON'S VERSION OF HOW THE ICAP PROPOSALS ARE DEVELOPING WHICH WE WOULD DISPUTE:-

(A) AT THE TALKS IN JUNE IT WAS AGREED THAT BOTH COUNTRIES WERE IN FAVOUR OF CHEAPER AIR FARES AND THAT THE UK DELEGATION WOULD PUT THE ICAP PROPOSALS TO OUR MINISTERS. MINISTERS WERE CONSULTED, AND AT THE TALKS IN AUGUST, ROGERS HANDED OVER A PAPER OUTLINING OUR POSITION (MY TELNO 371). IT WAS MADE QUITE CLEAR THAT WE WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER THE AUSTRALIAN PROPOSALS FURTHER WITH THE AUSTRALIAN AUTHORITIES IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE OTHER COUNTRIES. ROGERS IN HIS DISCUSSION WITH MR NIXON (YOUR TEL 391) SAID THAT WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSALS WITH THE ASEAN STATES IF, FOLLOWING THE AUSTRALIAN APPROACH, THEY WISHED IT.

WE MUST HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSESS THE RESULTS OF THE AUSTRALIAN APPROACHES TO THE ASEAN STATES AND TO TAKE OUR OWN SOUNDINGS THERE BEFORE WE ENTER INTO THOSE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE AUSTRALIANS, WHICH BOTH SIDES HAD ENVISAGED WOULD TAKE PLACE, BEFORE FINAL COMMITMENT WAS GIVEN TO THE AUSTRALIAN PROPOSALS. ALSO IT SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED THAT THERE ARE STILL A NUMBER OF PRACTICAL ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED EG ARRANGEMENTS FOR

CONCORDE AND FOR THE ROUTE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND PERTH.

CONFIDENTIAL

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