TNAG-1635-FCO40-2251-Overseas-visits-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-1988 — Page 81

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INT

AND THAT IS THE SORT OF REASSURANCE AND EXPLANATION

OBVIOUSLY THAT YOU WILL BE GIVING TO THE LEADERS AT YOUR MEETING

IN OCTOBER?

SIR GEOFFREY: ABSOLUTELY, AND I HOPE THAT THE CONTINUOUSLY

PROMINENT ROLE THAT WE HAVE BEEN PLAYING IN THE SEARCH BETWEEN

EAST AND WEST FOR PROGRESS ON ARMS CONTROL WILL ADD CREDIBILITY

TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.

INT: IN NEW ZEALAND OF COURSE, YOU WILL BE TALKING TO MR LANGE

WHOSE POLICY AGAINST NUCLEAR POWERED OR NUCLEAR ARMED SHIPS HAS

SPLIT THE ANZUS PACT. NEW ZEALAND IN A SENSE IS NOW DETACHED

FROM AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED STATES. DON'T YOU REGARD THIS SIR

GEOFFREY AS AGAIN A RATHER DANGEROUS DESTABLISING DEVELOPMENT IN

THAT AREA?

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, OBVIOULSY IT IS FOR NEW ZEALAND AND HER

GOVERNMENT TO DETERMINE THEIR OWN POLICY. ON A QUESTION OF THIS

KIND WE WOULD MAKE NO SECRET OF THE FACT THAT WE SHOULD PREFER

THE PREVIOUS ARRANGEMENT TO BE CONTINUING AND WE SHALL OF COURSE

DISCUSS THE QUESTION IN THAT WAY. BUT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO

COMPROMISE ON OUR OWN POLICY POSITION OF NOT CONFIRMING NOR

DENYING THE NUCLEAR STATUS OF OUR NAVAL VESSELS. SO NAVAL VISITS

HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED. I DON'T THINK ONE SHOULD EXAGGERATE THE

CONSEQUENCES OF THAT THOUGH. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO

ZEALAND ALONG WITH AUSTRALIA AND

RECOGNISE AND UNDERLINE THAT NEW

THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE UNITED STATES, SHARE A COMMON INTEREST

IN THE SECURITY OF THE WORLD AND OF PROTECTING IT AGAINST ANY

POSSIBLE THREAT FROM THE SOVIET UNION AND ITS ALLIES.

INT: YOU MENTION THE NEED NOT TO EXAGGERATE SOME OF THESE

FACTORS, DO YOU FEEL SIR GEOFFREY THAT THE RECENT ARRIVAL OF

LIBYAN OFFERS OF AID ON THE SCENE HAS BEEN EXAGGERATED?

AGAIN A SOMEWHAT DISTURBING RESULT?

IS THAT

SIR GEOFFREY: I SHALL CERTAINLY WANT TO DISCUSS THAT.

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