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HKK 943/3
RECEIVED. REGISTRY
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INTRODUCTORY
- 3 DEC 1986
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13/12
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ALL ON THE HEAD OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN DEPARTMENT BY THE
NEW VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR, 21 OCTOBER, 3:30 pm
Present:
Mr Adams, Head of SEAD
Mr Tran Van Hung, Ambassador of
Vietnam
212
Mr Martin, First Assistant
Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps
Mr Pham Binh Man, Third Secretary,
Embassy of Vietnam
Mr Court, SEAD
1. After opening formalities, Mr Adams asked about prospects for
the forthcoming Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).
Mr Hung explained that the Congress was scheduled for the second
week of December and that it would concentrate firstly on economic
issues and secondly on external affairs, including Cambodia and
relations with China. He did not know whether there was a prospect
of Mr Gorbachev visiting Vietnam for the Congress. He noted that Mr
Gorbachev had been in Vietnam for the 1976 Congress. Mr Adams
agreed with Mr Hung's view that UK-Soviet relations had improved
since Mr Gorbachev had become Secretary General, although serious
disagreements remained, such as on Afghanistan.
2.
We
Avoiding a question from Mr Adams on reports of a serious border
clash on 14 October with China, Mr Hung asked for a British
assessment of the recent pre-summit meeting in Reykjavik. Mr Adams expressed disappointment that agreement had not been reached on a follow-up summit, but there had been some encouraging progress.
hoped that both sides would now build on that progress. Mr Hung
asked whether Mr Karpov's explanation of the Soviet analysis of the summit had been convincing. Mr Adams explained Britain's understanding for Mr Reagan's wish to keep his hands free to
continue research into the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI).
RC2ADO
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