TNAG-1525-FCO40-2089-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1986 — Page 131

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CONFIDENTIAL

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Mr Layden

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From: C A Munro

Western European Dept

Date: 26 February 1986

MKK 243./1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: RESETTLEMENT IN MAR 1986

120

1.

Your minute of 21 February.

DESK OFFICER

WDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

171

2. This was last raised at Ministerial level by Mr Eggar during State Secretary (PUS equivalent) Meyer-Landrut's visit on 8 November (copy of record attached). Meyer-Landrut's line, which was not very forthcoming, had clearly been carefully prepared. Mr Eggar took note, and said that we might come back to the Germans later. It is

clear that there is no hope of a change in the German position

through a further approach at any level below this.

3.

The next Ministerial contact is likely to be Mrs Chalker's visit

to Bonn on 7-8 April. However her interlocutors do not deal

directly with the subject, and this would not be a significantly

higher level approach than that by Mr Eggar. Indeed in German terms

Ministers of State rank below State Secretaries such as

Meyer-Landrut. The best opportunity would be the Secretary of

State's next round of informal talks with Herr Genscher. He would

have to convince Genscher of the need for a gesture of political

goodwill, stressing the symbolic worth of acceptance of even a a small

additional number of refugees.

4. The Secretary of State was briefed to raise the question with

Herr Genscher at informal talks after the Anglo-German summit on

27 November, but did not in the event do so. Clearly any submission

or briefing will have to argue the case forcefully that it is worth him expending a significant amount of bilateral credit with the

Germans on the question.

5.

Genscher has invited the Secretary of State for informal talks

on 11-12 April, but it is not yet clear whether the Secretary of State can manage those dates. I will keep you informed of progress.

If Genscher replied positively on political grounds, we would need

CONFIDENTIAL