TNAG-1177-FCO40-1479-Air-services-between-Hong-Kong-and-South-East-Asia-1982 — Page 56

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FM FCO 151630Z OCT 82

TO ROUTINE HANOI

TELEGRAM NUMBER 212 OF 15 OCTOBER

INFO HONG KONG

SAVING BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR SINGAPORE

HO CHI MINH FLIGHT INFORMATION REGION MCLAREN'S LETTER OF 28 SEPTEMBER TO YOU CROSSED WITH LETTER OF THE 4TH OF OCTOBER FROM STEVENS (DOT). HONG KONG ADVICE CONFIRMS OUR INCLINATION NOT TO DISCUSS PROPOSALS WITH VIETNAMESE BEFORE

RAN MEETING IN SINGAPORE IN JANUARY. YOU COULD TELL YOUR THAI

AND SINGAPORE COLLEAGUES (WE SHOULD PREFER AT THIS STAGE TO CONSULT ONLY THOSE AUTHORITIES WHO CURRENTLY ADMINISTER THE FIR)

THAT PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATION IN LONDON AND HONG KONG AT

TECHNICAL LEVEL IS GENERALLY FAVOURABLE BUT THAT WE CANNOT

COMMITT OURSELVES AT THIS STAGE AND ARE NOT YET READY TO ENGAGE

IN DETAILED DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAMESE. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF

YOU COULD DISCOVER WHAT VIEW THEIR AUTHORITIES ALSO TAKE. YOU

SHOULD ADD THAT WE THEREFORE PROPOSE TO SEND A NON-COMMITAL

REPLY TO THE VIETNAMESE NOTE DRAWING THEIR ATTENTION TO THE

OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE MATTER BOTH BILATERALLY AND

AND MULTILATERALLY AT THE RAN CONFERENCE. IT WOULD CLEARLY BE

HELPFUL IF THEY WERE TO RESPOND TO THE VIETNAMESE APPROACH ON SIMILAR LINES, BUT UNLESS DISCUSSIONS WITH YOUR THAI AND SINGAPORE COLLEAGUES LEAD YOU TO RECOMMEND OTHERWISE, YOU SHOULD

THEN DELIVER A NOTE INDICATING OUR WILLINGNESS TO DISCUSS AT

SINGAPORE IN JANUARY BUT NOT BEFORE.

KOTAITE, SECRETARY GENERAL OF ICAO, HAS ALREADY HAD SOME EXPLORATORY DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE CONCERNED IN THE MARGINS

OF THE DGCAS CONFERENCE IN SINGAPORE IN JULY. SO WE SHALL ALSO

KEEP HIM IN TOUCH THROUGH OUR REPRESENTATIVE TO ICAO IN MONTREAL.

PYM

LIMITED

MAED

SEAD

HKGD

MR ADAMS

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