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SPIRIT ON BOTH SIDES WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO RESOLVE OUR DIF ENCES.
IT WAS HIGHLY DESIRABLE. TO MELT THIS LAST PIECE OF ICE.
SPEAKING PERSONALLY I WONDERED WHETHER IT MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR DAVMVTRNMENTS TO DETERMINE TO SETTLE WITHIN A DEFINITE PERIOD,
WITH THE BALL BEING SET ROLLING BY A MALAYSIAN DEPUTY MINISTER GOING TO SEE MR PARKINSON IN THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE WHO HAD SAID HE WOULD TAKE A PERSONAL INTEREST. IF BOTH SIDES WERE DETERMINED, NEGOTIATIONS MIGHT BE HELD WITH A VIEW TO POSSIBLE LATER SIGNING AN AGREEMENT AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL. DATUK HUSSEIN SAID HE LIKED THIS
SUGGESTION AND WOULD CONSIDER IT. HE WAS VERY KEEN TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE.
4. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT HE KNEW WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT CONCORDE, BUT HE WOULD LIKE TO ASSURE ME IN ALL SINCERITY THAT HE AND HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT USE THIS AS A BARGAINING LEVER, WHATEVER HINTS OF THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN GIVEN BY OFFICIALS. HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT QUOTE GO THAT LOW UN CUOTE WITH ANYONE, LEAST OF ALL THE BRITISH, THE MATTER WOULD BE JUDGED SOLELY ON ENVIRONMENTAL GROUNDS
AND CONCORDE'S PERFORMANCE WAS BEING MONITORED BY THE MINISTRY OF
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. AS FAR AS HE KNEW
THERE HAD BEEN NO SERIOUS PUBLIC CONCERN SINCE LETTERS IN THE PAPER
SOON AFTER CONCORDE STARTED AND THERE HAD BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT
COMPLAINTS SINCE. I THANKED HIM VERY MUCH AND IN REPLY TO MY REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION SAID THAT CONCORDE COULD CONTINUE TO FLY WITH
THE TRIAL PERIOD BEING EXTENDED - (APPARENTLY NEXT TWO WORDS UNDERLINED SINE DIE, UNLESS COMPLAINTS BUILD UP). I EXPLAINED THAT
THE FLIGHT PATH HAD BEEN CHANGED SINCE THE EARLIEST FLOXHTS AND THIS
PERHAPS EXPLAINED THE ABSENCE OF LATTER DAY COMPLAINTS.
↑
5. DATUK HUSSEIN STRESSED THE BREADTH AND STRENGTH OF OUR RELATIONS
AND SAID THAT HE DID NOT WANT AIR MATTERS TO IMPEDE THESE IN ANY WAY,
HAWLEY
FILES
MAED
SEAD
SPD
HKFGD
MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY MISS BROWN.
[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]
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