TNAG-0865-FCO40-1075-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 184

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FM JAKARTA 200545Z JULY 79

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TELNO 232 OF 20 JULY

HKR 184/!,

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Mr Willamian

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SINGAPORE TELNO 255: UK/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES.

INFO PRIORITY SINGAPORE CANBERRA

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG (GOVERNOR AND BCARFE) BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR MANILA AND WELLINGTON

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2OK

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1. THE ASEAN SECRETARIAT HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE ECONOMIC MINISTERS MEETING PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED FOR 25/27 JULY IN MANILA HAS BEEN POSTPONED INDEFINITELY. SO TOO HAS THE MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS WHICH HAD BEEN DUE TO TAKE PLACE IN KUALA LUMPUR (OR PENANG) FROM 18-20 JULY.

2. ACCORDING TO THE ASEAN SECRETARIAT, THE MINISTERS INVOLVED HAD MET SO FREQUENTLY BEFORE AND DURING UNCTAD V THAT THEY NOW CONSIDERED THERE WOULD BE TOO LITTLE TO DISCUSS TO JUSTIFY A SPECIAL MEETING. (THERE ARE SOME 1,000 COMMODITIES WHICH ARE DUE TO BE ADDED TO ASEAN'S PREFERENTIAL TRADING AGREEMENT, BUT THIS APPEARS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED SUFFICIENTLY IMPORTANT).

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3. IT IS THUS CLEAR THAT THE ECONOMIC MINISTERS ARE IN NO HURRY

TO EXAMINE THE COMPROMISE REACHED BY EXPERTS AT KUALA LUMPUR. INDEED THE CURRENT LACK OF INTEREST IN THIS SUBJECT (AT LEAST IN JAKARTA) MAY INDICATE THAT ASEAN MEMBERS OTHER THAN SINGAPORE HAVE NOW IMPLICITLY ACCEPTED THE KULAL LUMPUR COMPROMISE AND FEEL. THEY HAVE DONE ENOUGH FOR SINGAPORE, ASEAN'S FAILURE TO RAISE THIS SUBJECT WITH MR PEACOCK AT BALI SEEMS TO POINT IN THE SAME DIRECTION. BUT THE AUSTRALIANS MAY FIND IT DIFFICULT TO CLARIFY ASEAN THINKING FURTHER IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

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