TNAG-1420-FCO40-1903-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 122

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respond positively to this suggestion, without prejudice to either side's position on sovereignty. On the forthcoming UN debate over

the Falklands, the PUS said that we were waiting to see the text of

the Argentine draft resolution. Our EC partners recognised the importance we attached to Community solidarity in New York. HMG had

made a number of constructive moves in the past year, which regrettably had not been reciprocated, and were keen that the issue

should not become a gladiatorial contest in international diplomacy.

EC/EFTA (Mr Shepherd (ECD(E)) joined the meeting)

8.

Mr Shepherd outlined current EC issues: the Inter-Governmental

Conference, discussions on a Treaty on political cooperation and preparation for the Luxembourg European Council in December. He underlined the UK's attachment to the completion of the internal

market (which would also benefit EFTA members), and to deregulation.

HMG had difficulty with the suggestion of increased powers for the European Parliament. On EC/EFTA, Mr Shepherd confirmed that the EFTA members' interests had been preserved by the Commission in the

negotiations for Spanish and Portuguese accession.

East/West Relations

On

9. Mr Brunner outlined the logistic difficulties facing the Swiss

in preparing for the meeting between President Reagan and

Mr Gorbachev. The informal party between the two delegations originally planned for 18 November, had been moved to the end of the meeting on the 20th. He thought this regrettable, as was the flood of proposals from 200 non-Governmental organisations to come to Geneva to lobby the participants. This could harm the prospects for

success. One NGO consisted of wives of concerned US senators.

substance, neither side wanted a failure in Geneva. He had spoken to Kampelmann, and agreed with his assessment that the Russians had

given their representatives instructions to agree to nothing in the

negotiations on CW, CDE or MBFR before the Geneva meeting. The

Russians had even told the Neutrals in the CDE Forum to hold back

submitting a draft text. The best outcome from Geneva would be a

commitment to a further meeting, plus a general injunction to

negotiators in the specialised fora to make progress.

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