TNAG-0893-FCO40-1103-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 24

THAT THEY HAVE PROVISIONALLY SUSPENGEL THE 1PLE CITATION OF THE 1070 rooD AID PROGRAMMES FOR VIETNAM. THE COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS THE

GENERAL QUESTION OF FOOD AID TO VIETNAM IN THE LIGHT OF THE CENEVA

CONFERENCE.

DETAIL

2. THE PRESIDENCY PROPOSED A NEW COMPROMISE BASED ON THE COMMISSIONY SUGGESTION OF 6 JULY (MY TELNO 3563). UNDER THIS

A. THE COUNCIL WOULD DECIDE EMERGENCY FOOD AID FOR VIETNAMESE

REFUGEES THROUGH THE UNHCR OF 1,560 TONNES OF DRIED SKIMMED MILK AND 9,000 TONNES OF RICE. WAYS AND MEANS WOULD BE LEFT FOR LATER COUNCIL DECISION. MEANWHILE THE COMMISSION WOULD BE ASKED TO MAKE THE NECESSARY TECHNICLA ARRANGEMENTS TO

AVOID DELAY IN PROVIDING THESE QUANTITIES.

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THE COUNCIL WOULD TAKE NOTE THAT FOOD AID ALLOCATED TO VIETNAM UNDER THE 1979 PROGRAMMES HAD BEEN SUSPENDED BY THE COMMISSION PENDING FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS.

3. THAT SOLUTION WAS ACCEPTABLE TO ALL DELEGATIONS EXCEPT THE ITALIANS AND THE DUTCH, THEY CONSIDERED TAKING NOTE OF COMMISSION ACTION IN SUSPENDING FOOD AID TO VIETNAM A POLITICAL DECISION WHICH ONLY MINISTERS COULD TAKE, EVEN IF THERE WERE NO QUESTION OF THE COUNCIL AT THIS STAGE APPROVING THE COMMISSION ACTION. THESE DELEGATIONS COULD ACCEPT INSTEAD THAT THE PROPOSED 8,062 TONNES OF RICE SHOULD BE PROVISIONALLY TAKEN FROM THE 1970 VIETNAM ALLOCAT- ION, ALL REFERENCE TO SUSPENDING AID BEING LEFT FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION AFTER THE GENEVA CONFERENCE WHEN THE IMPUTATION COULD BE APPROVED OR MODIFIED. BUT THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE TO THE DANES, WHO COULD AGREE ONLY TO 4,000 TONNES COMING EVEN PROVISIONALLY FROM THE 1979 VIETNAM ALLOCATION, AND TO THOSE DELEGATIONS, NOTABLY THE GERMANS, THE FRENCH AND OURSELVES, WHO WANTED A REFERENCE TO SUSPENSION OF DIRECT FOOD AID TO VIETNAM,

4. THE ITALIANS TRIED TO CONTEST THE FACT OF SUSPENSION. THE COMMISSION RECALLED THAT THEY HAD STATED TO COREPER ON 29 JUNE THAT THEY HAD PROVISIONALLY SUSPENDED DE FACTO ALL FOOD AID OPERATIONS FOR VIETNAM. IT BECMAE CLEAR IN DISCUSSION THAT REFERENCE TO ANY OFFICIAL COUNCIL REACTION TO THAT SUSPENSION WOULD PRODUCE A NUMBER OF DIVERGENT UNILATERAL ENTRIES IN THE COUNCIL MINUTES. SUCH CLEAR POLITICAL DIVERGENCE VAS CONSIDERED UNDIESTRABLC IN THE BUN UP TO THE GENEVA CONFERENCE.

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5. AFTER TWO HOURS OF UNSDIFYING DISCUSSION AGREEMENT WAS