TNAG-0782-FCO40-986-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 39

CRS 280A

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 13210OZ

F C O 13190OZ DEC 78

TO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 624 OF 13 DECEMBER 1978

#KK184//

NOAST

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO:51 14 DEC 1978

DEX OFFICER

INDEX

INFO KUALA LUMPUR, JAKARTA, MANILA, BANGKOKA (FOR GOVERNOR AND SCARFE).

eYOUR TELNO 645 UK/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES,

お申

E

REGISTRY

Action Taken

See 1933

431

HNG HONG

:

1. YOUR PARA 2: AS INDICATED IN MY TELNO 169 WE ARE STILL CONSIDERING WHETHER WE CAN AGREE THAT NIXON SHOULD MAKE A SUBSTANTIVE STATEMENT

BEFORE CHRISTMAS, THE TERMS OF WHICH WE WOULD AGREE IN ADVANCE. DISCUSSIONS WITH PILLAY ARE DUE TO END TOMORROW (14 DECEMBER). WE

WILL TAKE STOCK URGENTLY AFTER THAT AND LET YOU HAVE FURTHER NEWS.

WHILE MAKING IT PLAIN TO HALTON THAT WE ARE STILL NOT REPEAT NOT

ABLE TO GIVE A DEFINITE ANSWER, YOU MIGHT SUGGEST TO HIM THAT IT

HOULD EXPEDITE MATTERS IF HE COULD LET US HAVE A DRAFT OF THE MINIMUM

THAT HE CONSIDERS MR NIXON WOULD NEED TO SAY IN ORDER TO SATISFY HIS

POLITICAL COMMITMENT.

2. YOUR PARA 4: WE DO NOT ENVISAGE THAT NIXON WOULD SAY ANYTHING

ABOUT CONCORDE IN HIS STATEMENT BUT BEFORE WE COULD AGREE TO A

STATEMENT WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE A FIRM UNDERSTANDING REGARDING

FUTURE CONCORDE OPERATIONS TO AUSTRALIA. PERHAPS YOU COULD TRY OUT

THE FOLLOWING ON HALTON.

QUOTE ALTHOUGH IT IS ENVISAGED THAT THERE WILL BE NO FIFTH FREEDOM

RIGHTS FOR SUBSONIC SERVICES UNDER THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS, BA WILL HAVE THE OPTION OF OPERATING A CONCORDE SERVICE BETWEEN LONDON AND

MELBOURNE WITH FULL TRAFFIC RIGHTS AT INTERMEDIATE POINTS. THIS

WOULD PREFERABLE BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH QANTAS BUT WOULD NOT BE

DEPENDENT ON THEIR PARTICIPATION, AND WOULD BE OUTSIDE THE CAPACITY ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUBSONIC SERVICES UNQUOTE.

3. WE ARE ASSUMING THAT NIXON WOULD NOT NEED TO INCLUDE IN HIS

STATEMENT ANY REFERENCE TO SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND AUSTRALIA.

THE OUTSTANDING ISSUES RELATING TO THAT AND THE QUESTION OF CHARTERS

COULD BE DISCUSSED FURTHER WHEN ROWLAND AND ROGERS MEET EARLY IN

THE NEW YEAR.

OWEN

FILES

MAE.D

SWPD

SEAD SAD

[COPIES SENT TO CADIDOT]

HKIGD MISS BROWN MR MURRAY

COPIES TO MR ROGERS MR STABLES

CONFIDENTIAL

CAIR. DOT

;