TNAG-1144-FCO40-1424-Hong-Kong-and-the-Falkland-Islands-crisis-1982 — Page 103

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In Hah!" mag jy.

ZZ WASHINGTON

ZZ UKMIS NEW YORK

GRS 563

SECRET

FM FCO 191900Z APR 82

TO FLASH WASHINGTON

TELEGRAM NUMBER 764 OF 19 APRIL

INFO FLASH UKMIS NEW YORK

SECRET

909

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MY TELNO 761

FALKLAND ISLANDS

1. THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A FURTHER MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM

HAIG AT 1830Z.

BEGINS

2. HERE AS YOU SUGGEST IN YOUR LATEST MESSAGE IS THE CURRENT

TEXT, ALONG WITH OUR GLOSS ON WHAT IT MEANS. COSTA MENDEZ HAS

GIVEN ME A LETTER SAYING THAT ARGENTINA COULD ACCEPT IT IF THE

U.S. PROPOSES IT, AND BRITAIN ACCEPTS.

3. MY OWN DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THIS TEXT PREVENTS ME FROM

ATTEMPTING TO INFLUENCE YOU IN ANY WAY. AS YOU WILL SEE, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT STEPS BACK FROM THE TEXT YOU AND I

DISCUSSED IN LONDON IN EACH OF THE AREAS OF GREATEST IMPORTANCE:

THE LONGTERM NEGOTIATIONS, THE INTERIM ADMINISTRATION, AND WITHDRAWAL.

4.

WHAT HAS BEEN SECURED IN EACH CASE IS BRITISH CONTROL.

YOU WOULD UNDERTAKE TO NEGOTIATE AND CONCLUDE A LONGTERM AGREEMENT, BUT YOUR PRINCIPLES AS WELL AS ARGENTINE PRINCIPLES ARE ASSERTED, AND THERE IS NOTHING IN THE AGREEMENT (AS THE ARGENTINES KEEP REMINDING US) THAT FORCES YOU TO ACCEPT A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT YOU DON'T WANT.

5. THE INTERIM ADMINISTRATION IS LESS ADVANTAGEOUS THAN IT WAS.

YET HERE AGAIN THE ESSENTIAL IS SAVED. THE LOCAL COUNCILS

RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU ON MORE INTERCOURSE

REMAIN SOVEREIGN.

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