CODE 18-77
(41SA
HKK 2431
Reference ............................
Mr Cortazzi
SPEECH BY GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG AT GENEVA CONFERENCE
по
Mr D Murray telephoned the following massage from Geneva at 3 pm today, 18 July.
1.
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219.7
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He has spoken to Buffum this morning about the Governor of Hong Kong speaking at the conference. Buffum cannot arrange for Sir M MacLehose to speak immediately after the SoS. are practical reasons which he can explain. Buffum says that the proposal is a difficult one because the Secretary-General's attitude is that only invited Governments can speak, and Hong Kong is not in its own right an invited Government. It is further complicated by the fact that the Laotians and Cambodians have both insisted on coming (Mr Murray doesn't know what sort of Cambodians). The Secretary-General's attitude to them will almost certainly be 'you can come but you cannot speak'. the other hand Buffum fully understands the position and the need for Hong Kong to have a voice. Therefore he has tentatively pencilled in Sir M MacLehose in the Secretary- General's own list of speakers, which is not going to be circulated to any other delegation, as the 11th speaker on Saturday morning. But the decision on whether in fact it would be proper to call on the Governor of Hong Kong will have to be taken by Waldheim himself on his return at midnight on Thursday. Therefore Mr Murray will keep on at Buffum, and the Secretary- General on Friday morning, and will take the view that we will accept any arrangement which enables the Governor of Hong Kong to speak, including perhaps suggesting that it should be described as a second speech by the UK, if this will help the Secretary-General out of a procedural difficulty.
3. In your absence Mr Murray asked that this note should be copied to: PS/Mr Blaker, Sir M MacLehose, HKGD, Mr Stitt.
18 July 1979
Phyllis Grossmith PA/Mr Cortazzi 4374
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