TNAG-0781-FCO40-985-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 15

250

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKY 071008Z

FM CANBERRA 870915Z DEC 78

CONFIDENTIAL

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 625 OF 7 DECEMBER

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RECEIVED IN C

84/1

8 DECI

DESK OF INDEX

10. 51

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718

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INFO ROUTINE SINGAPORE KUALA LUMPUR BANGKOK JAKARTA

MANILA DELHI HONG KONG (GOVERNOR AND BCARFE) PARIS

THE HAGUE BONN ROME BELGRADE ATHENS

MYTEL NO 612:

1.

(701

UK/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES

HALTON TELEPHONED ME IN SYDNEY TO ASK ON MR NIXON'S

INSTRUCTIONS WHETHER I HAD RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE TO HIS REPRESENTATIONS. THE MINISTER WISHES TO SEE ME AGAIN ON MY . RETURN TO CANBERRA TOMORROW AFTERNOON LOCAL TIME (8 DECEMBER)

AND I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR GUIDANCE BY THEN IF POSSIBLE.

+

2. HALTON REPORTED THAT QANTAS HAD SETTLED COMMERCIAL

AGREEMENTS WITH THAI AIRLINES AND MAS AND HAD INITIALLED

AN AGREEMENT WITH GARUDA. THE TALKS WITH THE SINGAPOREANS, WHICH BEGAN ON 4 DECEMBER, WERE GOING BETTER THAN EXPECTED

AND WERE BEING EXTENDED TODAY. HE COULD NOT SAY THAT THE

SINGAPOREANS QUOTE EXACTLY LOVED THEM UNQUOTE BUT HE SEEMED

TO THINK THAT THEY WOULD COME TO TERMS, GIVEN THE NOTICE.

OF TERMINATION ALREADY SERVED BY THE AUSTRALIANS QUOTE ON THE

BASIS OF THEIR UNDERSTANDING WITH US UNQUOTE.

3. HALTON SAID THAT HE HAD RECEIVED SOME INDICATIONS

THROUGH HIS OWN CHANNELS THAT QUOTE THE BRITISH ATTITUDE WAS

MELLOWING UNQUOTE BUT HIS MINISTER WAS MOST ANXIOUS TO HAVE

A MORE DEFINITE REASSURANCE.

4.

PASS TO DOT FOR ROGERS, CAIR.

TEBBIT

FILES

MAED

SAD

SWPD

SEAD

NAM D

[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]

LEGAL ADVISERS

MR BUTLER

WED

MISS BROWN

SED

MR MURRAY

CONFIDENTIAL

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