TNAG-1507-FCO40-2065-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 85

CONFIDENTIAL

V

Protection for French Ambassador

Mr Ratford explained the system operated by Scotland Yard for protecting diplomats in London. The French accepted that it was responsibility of the police to provide protection as appropriate;

and that

circumstances differed from one capital to another.

VI

Vietnamese refugees.

Mr Ratford welcomed France's helpful attitude hitherto, and wondered whether France could give a commitment to take a specific number of refugees, eg those being trained by Ecol es sans Frontières.

M Plaisant was doubtful whether this would be possible.

VII Examples of cooperation.

The two sides welcomed cooperation between them on

a) preparing for next year's High Frequency Broadcasting

Conference;

b) the newly-opened Cross-Channel Electricity Link;

c)

armaments;

a) Eureka

―

the French had more projects with the British than with

any other country;

e)

the recent GATT meeting at Punta del Este and the IAEA

Conference;

f) the Guangdong project (Mr Ratford welcomed EF's training project, a valuable sign to Hong Kong that the plant would be efficiently run);

g)

VIII

cultural relations (the two AUSS were ready to meet).

Current items of bilateral business.

(i) The British side raised:

a)

Franco-British Council. We must ensure a wide participation and appropriate Ministerial attendance for the Cardiff Conference;

b) Civil Servant Exchanges. We were keen to maintain our allotment

of places on the ENA long course;

c) Guernsey immigration. We hoped the French could agree to a Guernsey immigration post at Cherbourg to service the Channel Island

Ferry;

d) Tax on yachts. We hoped that Gibraltar and Bermuda-registered yachts could be exempted from the French tax on visiting yachts, as they should be under the 1956 Geneva Convention.

CONFIDENTIAL