TNAG-1117-FCO40-1391-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1982 — Page 166

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CONFIDENTIAL

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DSR 11C

which countries from both North and South see value

Pakistan wants to rejoin;

on independence is of

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most former colonies join

use given that North/South

issues are likely to remain a preoccupation of Britain

and the West for the foreseeable future.

iii) The Commonwealth includes most Third World countries

(iv)

(other than OPEC countries) in which we have significant

economic and political interests about 75% of our

bilateral aid programme goes to the Commonwealth,

we are one of the principal exporters to most Commonwealt

and the Commonwealth tradition probably

countries

gives us better access to their governments than we would

otherwise enjoy. It does not guarantee good access,

and it does not necessarily prevent the expression of

hostility towards us (eg. Malaysia), but on balance it

probably gives us an edge over our political (mostly

Eastern bloc) and commercial (mostly Western) competitors.

It is not possible however to demonstrate any direct

commercial advantage deriving from the Commonwealth,

as distinct from our good bilateral relations with

individual Commonwealth countries.

Commonwealth meetings give us an opportunity to put

across our views on important issues to Third World

countries in a more informal and relaxed atmosphere than

at the UN, (even though the informality of Commonwealth

gatherings is less than it was , and to learn something

of others' views. The extent to which this exchange of

views is of value to us varies in different Commonwealth

fora. It has had value at recent CHOGMS on Zimbabwe

in Lusaka, and on Namibia in Melbourne and at recent

health Ministers meetings, which precede WHO Conferences

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