TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 160

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8. THE GERMANS ALSO HAD DIFFICULTIES. THEY AGREED THAT TEN THOUSAND

ONNES OF RICE COULD COME FROM THE 1979 VIETNEM PROGRAMME. THEY COULD ALSO AGREE TO THE FIFTEEN HUNDRED TONNES OF DRIED SKIMMED MILK PROPOSED. THEY. COULD NOT AGREE TODAY TO VOIREMENT OF 10.2 MEUA

FOR THE ADDITIONAL EIGHTEEN THOUSAND TONNES OF PICE. THEY COULD ONLY

ACCEPT 3.5 MEUA IMMEDIATELY AS FINANCIAL AID TO UNHCR.

9. THE FRENCH, DUTCH AND IRISH MINISTERS WHO HAD BEEN IN GENEVA CONFIRMED CHEYSSON'S DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMITMENTS THE COMMUNITY HAD THERE ACCEPTED AND AUTHORISED HIM TO MAKE. THOSE COMMITMENTS MUST BE RESPECTED. THE DUTCH ADDED THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF GIVING FOOD AID TO VIETNAM AFTER THE SECRETARY GENERAL'S REPORT

IN SEPTEMBER HAD TO BE KEPT OPEN TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE VIETNAMESE TO RESPECT THEIR COMMITMENTS. IF IT WERE ALL DIVERTED NOW THE PRES-

SURE WOULD DISAPPEAR.

12. THE LUXEMBOURGERS AND BELGIANS SUGGESTED THAT THE COUNCIL

SHOULD CONFIRM THE POLITICAL COMMITMENTS ENTERED INTO IN GENEVA. THE BELGIANS THE GERMANS AND I PROPOSED THAT THE QUESTION OF HOW TO PAY FOR THE RICE SHOULD BE LEFT TO BE SETTLED BY COREPER AND BY WRITTEN PROCEDURE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE DANES SAID THEY TOO WOULD WELCOME A DELAY TO CONSIDER THE IDEA OF TAKING TEN THOUSAND TONNES OF RICE FROM THE VIETNAM ALLOCATION. THE ITALIANS ALSO HAD DIFFICULTY WITH THAT IDEA, WHICH THEY COULD ONLY ACCEPT ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT COULD BE RESTORED IF THE SECRETARY GENERAL'S

REPORT IN SEPTEMBER WAS FAVOURABLE.

11. CHEYSSON SAID THE COMMISSION WOULD ACCEPT SUCH A DELAY ON CONDITION THAT IF COREPER FAILED TO AGREE ON IMPUTATION OF THE COST OF THE RINCE ON 25 JULY THE COMMISSION WERE AUTHORISED NEVERTHELESS TO GIVE IT TO UNHCR WITHOUT A DECISION ON IMPUTATION (AS THEY HAD WITH THE EIGHT THOUSAND TONNES PREVIOUSLY AGREED). THE COUNCIL THEREFORE CONFIRMED THE COMMITMENTS IT HAD MADE IN GENEVA TO PROVIDE TWENTY THOUSAND TONNES OF RICE, ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED TONNES OF DRIED SKIMMED MILK AND TEN MEUA IN CASH TO UNHCR FOR SOUTH EAST. ASIAN REFUGEES IN TRANSIT, AND TO CREATE A RESERVE OF FOUR MEUA FOR OPERATIONS IN CAMBODIA TO BE DECIDED SUBSEQUENTLY. COREPER WAS

INVITED TO TRY TO SETTLE THE IMPUTATION OF THE RICE. IF IT

FAILED THE COMMISSION WERE AUTHORISED TO PROCEED.

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