TNAG-1022-FCO40-1272-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-United-Nations-1981 — Page 73

CONFIDENTIAL

7. To date, the tactics of the Soviet Union and other Eastern countries at Madrid is to avoid a detailed and

genuine debate on human rights and humanitarian considerations by shifting the emphasis of discussion towards their declaratory ideas for 'military détente', for example non first-use of force and the non-enlargement of military alliances. The East would prefer ultimately to remove the military aspects of security in Europe from the purview of CSCE process, enabling them to pursue such measures in a separate and less constraining forum.

8. The risk for the West is that the removal of security matters from CSCE would unbalance the careful package of subjects contained in the Helsinki Final Act and would remove such leverage as the West may be able to exert on the East in support of their objective of better implementation on the human rights side. Thus, in commenting on Soviet 'military détente' initiatives, the UK has insisted on a balanced and integrated approach, at the same time drawing attention to the hollowness of the Soviet commitment to the relevant Principles of the Helsinki Final Act as demonstrated by their aggression in Afghanistan.

9.

With the above in mind, it is particularly important to remember that the Final Act was conceived as a balanced whole and that quotations from it should be set carefully in context. References to it in resolutions etc should always be cleared with the CSCE Unit, FCO (233 5374), before UK agreement to them is given.

CSCE Unit

24 November, 1980

(44)

COMEIDENTIAL