TNAG-0863-FCO40-1073-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 186

GRS 250

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FM FCO 08195OZ FEB 79

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HEE 184/1

"PA":

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG (GOVERNOR AND BCARFE)

TELEGRAM NUMBER 134 OF 8 FEBRUARY

INFO OTTAWA WASHINGTON KUALA LUMPUR (FOR ROGERS)

NIR

150

YOUR TEL NOS. 148 AND 190: UK/CANADA, AIR SERVICES DISCUSSIONS

1. IT HAS BEEN PROVISIONALLY AGREED THAT THE NEXT ROUND SHOULD START IN THE WEEK BEGINNING 12 MARCH. WE WILL INFORM YOU WHEN THERE

IS A FIRM DATE.

2. THANK YOU FOR ADVICE IN TEL 148 (NOT TO WASHINGTON) WHICH WE WILL DISCUSS WITH YOUR, AND CPA'S REPRESENTATIVES AT THE NEXT ROUND.

3. YOU ASKED WHETHER WE COULD NEGOTIATE THE EARLIER REMOVAL OF THE RESTRICTION ON SERVING HONOLULU VANCOUVER NON STOP UNTIL 1982, CONTAINED IN FOOTNOTE 2 TO UK ROUTE 6 OF THE UK/US AIR SERVICES AGREMENT (PARA 3 OF YOUR 1ST TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE). THE STATED REASON FOR THIS RESTRICTION WAS TO PROTECT WESTERN'S DAILY SERVICE ON THE ROUTE, BUT THE MORE LIKELY GENERAL REASON WAS TO BALANCE THE RESTRICTIONS ON 5TH FREEDOM RIGHTS WE INSISTED UPON IN US ROUTE 3. IF WE WERE TO SEEK RELAXATION OF THIS RESTRICTION ON UK ROUTE 6 WE WOULD EXPECT THE US TO SEEK RELAXATIONS OF THOSE ON US ROUTE 3 OR POSSIBLY THE ADDITION OF SOME 5TH FREEDOM RIGHTS ON US ROUTE 8. WE BELIEVE THE US WOULD ONLY BE PREPARED TO TRADE THIS CONCESSION FOR SOMETHING WORTHWHILE. UNLESS YOU AND CPA ARE PREPARED TO SEE RECIPROCAL CONCESSIONS MADE ON THE US

PACIFIC ROUTES, WE SEE LITTLE POINT IN APPROACHING THE US ON THIS QUESTION.

OWEN

FILES

MAED

HKFGD.

NAO. MISS BROWN.

瑞

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