GRS 400
CONFIDENTIRAL
FM CANBERRA
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 280
OF 25O1OOZ APRIL 1987
CONFIDENTIAL
нив ост
28 APR 907
*NFO PROVRINTY WELLINGTON, DUBLIN, HONG KONG
SECRETARY OF STATE'S VIISHIT
66
Mir Ham dus habe 244.
| Abish
ther Bautori
Arby
28
17/4
1. THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD A LONG CONVERSATION WITH THE PRIME MINISTER;) BOB HAWKEN AT A PRIVATE DINNER IN MY HOUSE YESTERDAY EVENING. DURING THE COURSE OF INT HE PUT TWO SPECIFIC REQUESTS TO MR HAWKE. FIRRST ON HONG KONG REFUGEES HAVING SAID THAT BRITAIN WOULD BE WILLING IN PRINCIPLE TO TAKE ABOUT A FURTHER 500 HE ASKED OF AUSTRALINA WOULD ALSO CONSIDER TAKING SOME MORE. SECONDLY! HE ASKED MR HAWKE TO RECONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING A FINANCIRAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE ANGLO-BRIKSH FUND. ON BOTH MATTERS MR HAWKE AGREED TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK. WE WILL FOLLOW UP
WITH HINS STAFF.
2. FOR HIS PART MR HAWKE RAMSED THE POSSIBILITY OF ARRANGEMENTS BEING MADE TO HAVE AN AUSTRALIRAN ARMY UNIT MOUNT THE GUARD AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE ON AUSTRALIA DAY (26 JANUARY) NEXT YEAR. IT WOULD, HE SAID, MAKE A PARTICULARLY APPROPRIATE START TO THE BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT WHILE HE THOUGHT IT WAS AN ATTRACTIVE INDEA IN PRINCIPLE, IT MIGHT WELL BE DIFFICULT IN PRACTICE TO ALTER THE DISPOSITIONS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE. HE WOULD, HOWEVER FOLLOW AT UP. IN FACT BOTH MOD AND SOUTH PACIFIC DEPARTMENT ARE ALREADY AWARE OF THE SUGGESTION. IN FORBORE TO SAY THAT THE MOD HAD ALREADY HINDICATED INT COULD NOT BE DONE AND MERELY SAID IT WAS IN THE PAPELIANE. IN THE LIGHT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S REMARK PERHAPS THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT AGAINN.
3. HT INS WORTH NOTHING IN THE BICENTENNIAL CONTEXT THAT MR HAWKE ONCE AGAIN PAND A WARM TRIBUTE TO BRITAIN'S CONTRIBUTION.
4. THREE OTHER POINTS IN THE WIDE-RANGING DISCUSSION ARE WORTH MENTHONING WIN THINS TELEGRAM. FIRST MR HAWKE THREW OUT THE DEA THAT INT MIGHT GIVE CHOGM SOMETHING USEFUL TO DO IF THERE COULD BE A DISCUSSION OF THE CURRENT BASKET OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC QUESTIONS INCLUDING THE GATT URUGUAY ROUND AND TRADE WITH JAPAN. THE SECRETARY OF STATE AGREED TO THINK ABOUT THIS. SECONDLY, ON THE UNBYAN FRONT, MR HAWKE SAID THAT
THE LIBYANS WERE CONTEMPLATHING CLOSHING THEIR PEOPLES BUREAU IN CANBERRA AND MOVING IT TO VANUATU. IF THAT REALLY WAS THEIR INTENTION HE WAS TEMPTED TO EXTRACT SOME ADVANTAGE FROM IT BY ANTICIPATING EVENTS AND THROWING THEM
OUT.
CONFIDENTIAL
15
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED
IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER
SECTION 3 (4) OF THE
PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958
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