TNAG-1117-FCO40-1391-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1982 — Page 183

ii)

CONFIDENTIAL

6

Commonwealth Declaration on Belize (though

nearly sabotaged at the last moment by

Canada) gave some reassurance to the people

of Belize in their dispute with Guatemala.

1.

There may be occasion in the future when the

Commonwealth will have a similar role, for

example if problems were to occur in the

Caribbean or the Pacific.

DSR 11C

bilateral

The Commonwealth includes most Third World

countries in which we have significant

ecomomic and political interests (the OPEC

countries excluded) -about 75% of our

aid programme goes to the Commonwealth - and

the Commonwealth tradition probably 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 (look at Malaysia), but on balance

it probably gives us an edge over our political

(mostly the Eastern bloc) and commercial

(mostly the West) competitors. It is not

←------- - possible however to demonstrate any direct

commercial advantage deriving from

the Commonwealth, rather than from good

individual

bilateral relations with/ Commonwealth

countries.

/(iii)

"...