TNAG-0864-FCO40-1074-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1980 — Page 97

GRS 441

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

TO IMMEDIATE KUALA LUMPUR

FM FCO 051744Z JUNE 79

TELEGRAM NUMBER 131 OF 5TH JUNE

HKK 184/1 262

RECEIVED A

DESK C

INDEX

No

разны

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG (FOR GOVERNOR AND ECARFE) ROUTINE BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, MANILA, JAKARTA, CANBERRA AND WELLINGTON.

259

261

CUR TELNOS 125 AND 129: UK/MALAYSIA AIR SERVICES.

1. THE TEXT OF AN AGREED MINUTE SUMMARISING THE LATEST ROUND OF

TALKS WAS SETTLED THIS MORNING. THE TEXT IS IN MIFT: COPIES OF

THE VARIOUS ANNEXES REFERRED TO IN THE TEXT ARE BEING BROUGHT

TO YOU BY JOY.

2. IT WAS AT MALAYSIAN INSISTENCE THAT THE FINAL PARAGRAPH OF THE

AGREED MINUTE IS SO VAGUE. WE WANTED IT TO REFER TO A FURTHER

ROUND OF DISCUSSIONS AT THE END OF JULY OR BEGINNING OF AUGUST,

AND COT THE IMPRESSION YESTERDAY THAT THIS WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. THIS MORNING, HOWEVER, THE MALAYSIANS REFUSED TO HAVE ANY SPECIFIC DATES WRITTEN INTO THE AGREED MINUTE. THEY PREFERRED TO LEAVE

THE ARRANGEMENTS FLEXIBLE, SUGGESTING THAT PERHAPS IT MIGHT BE

POSSIBLE TO RESUME DISCUSSIONS SOONER THAN THE END OF JULY,

ROBERTS EXPLAINED THAT BECAUSE OF COMMITMENTS RELATING TO AIR

SERVICE TALKS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES AND LEAVE ARRANGEMENTS HE

WOULD NOT BE AVAIALABLE DEFORE END-JULY.

3. WE SUSPECT THAT THE MALAYSIANS MAY HAVE PLANS IN MIND WHICH

THEY ARE NOT PREPARED TO DISCLOSE, EG REPRESENTATIONS AT

MINISTERIAL LEVEL OR A THREAT TO CONCORDE. BUT IN ANY CASE WE MUST

AVOID BEING DRAWN PREMATURELY INTO A FIRM COMMITMENT TO THE

CONCESSIONS FLOATED PROVISIONALLY (AND SUBJECT TO REFERENCE TO MINISTERS) IN THE LATER STAGES OF THE CURRENT ROUND OF TALKS,

WHICH THE MALAYSIANS WOULD THEN USE AS THE STARTING POINT FOR EXTRACTING FURTHER CONCESSIONS FROM US IN THE NEXT ROUND.

4.. WE SHOULD THEREFORE BE CRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD CONTİQUE, AS OPPORTUNITY OFFERS, TO TAKE THE LINE IN PARA OF OUR TELNO 125.

?

YOU SHOULD SAY THAT THE FURTHER CONCESSIONS WHICH WE PUT FORWARD FROVISIONALLY (EG A FOURTH DC10 ON THE TRUNK ROUTE FROM 1,10.60

SUBJECT TO QANTAS LEAVING THE ROUTE, THE TWO HAS SERVICES A-

CONFIDENTIAL

/WEEK