ANNEX
A
THE PRIME MINISTER
10 DOWNING STREET
23 September, 1983
да
Ven 2. Ramphal
I enjoyed our recent talk about the prospects for this year's
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. I am now writing in reply
to your circular letter of 2 August about the agenda.
As you say in your letter, the world continues to be beset by
apparently intractable problems. I of course share your hope that
the Commonwealth may be able to make a contribution to solving at
least some of them. I would see great value in private, informal
discussion of these matters. It is that kind of discussion that
gives these meetings their unique value.
As far as individual issues are concerned, you have identified
those of particular Commonwealth concern. With so many problems
to discuss, it will be more than ever important not to spend too
long on one or two,
one or two, however important, at the expense of the others.
I am however a little unhappy about two of your suggestions.
First, I do not believe that a specifically Commonwealth initiative
on disarmament or global security would advance significantly the
work already under way in arms control negotiations in the UN and
other fora. Second, we believe that the best prospects for reaching.
a settlement in Cyprus lie in the inter-communal talks in Nicosia
held under the auspices of the UN. Initiatives outside this
framework would seriously risk cutting across the efforts of the
UN Secretary-General and could well prove counter-productive. For this reason we would prefer to avoid substantive discussion
of this question in New Delhi.
/ I agree
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.