CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/s
five
064701
MDLIAN 1295
CONFIDENTIAL FM BONN
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 494
OF 311035Z MAY 88
See par 7
see (66
INFO PRIORITY ALL EC POSTS, MOSCOW, WASHINGTON, UKDEL NATO INFO PRIORITY UKMIS NEW YORK, STRASBOURG, TOKYO, KUALA LUMPUR INFO PRIORITY BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, JAKARTA, MANILA
INFO PRIORITY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, CANBERRA, KABUL, NEW DELHI INFO PRIORITY DHAKA, ISLAMABAD, KATHMANDU, COLOMBO, HANOI, PEKING INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
POLITICAL COMMITTEE, 30/31 MAY: ASIA
SUMMARY:
1. AMBASSADORS IN NEW DELHI AND TOKYO ASKED TO ANALYSE DEVELOPMENT OF JAPAN/INDIA RELATIONS. TWELVE TO TRY TO RAISE COLLECTIVE PROFILE IN INDIA. PROPOSAL FOR TROIKA MEETING WITH SIHANOUK AGREED SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY MINISTERS. WORKING GROUP TO CONSIDER VIETNAM IN DETAIL AT NEXT MEETING. AMBASSADORS IN RANGOON ASKED TO REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS. OTHER POINTS IN ORAL REPORT NOTED.
DETAIL.
INDIA:
2. VON RICHTOHOFEN (PRESIDENCY) NOTED THE WORKING GROUP'S VIEW THAT INDIA'S RELATIONS WITH THE TWELVE SEEMED THIN COMPARED WITH HER RELATIONS WITH THE US OR JAPAN (WHICH WAS CURRENTLY THE MOST POPULAR COUNTRY IN INDIA). SOME ANALYSIS BY AMBASSADORS IN NEW DELHI AND TOKYO OF THIS SITUATION, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE WORKING GROUP, SEEMED APPROPRIATE. FRETWELL (UK) POINTED OUT THAT JAPANESE RELATIONS WITH
FAR INDIA WERE FAIRLY SUPERFICIAL AND MANY AMONG THE TWELVE HAD DEEPER AND MORE COMPLETE TIES. HE DID NOT HOWEVER OBJECT TO THE PRESIDENCY SUGGESTION OF SEEKING A REPORT FROM AMBASSADORS. RESPONSE TO HIS QUESTION, IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM WOULD BE ON THE AGENDA FOR THE FORTH-COMING TROIKA TALKS WITH THE INDIANS. HE EXPRESSED SATISFACTION THAT NUCLEAR MATTERS WOULD ALSO BE RAISED BY THE TROIKA AS A REGIONAL MATTER. (THE PRESIDENCY INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD COME BACK TO THIS POINT DURING DISCUSSION OF NON-PROLIFERATION ON 31 MAY.)
IN
3. A DEBATE FOLLOWED ON HOW TO RAISE THE PROFILE OF THE TWELVE'S RELATIONS WITH THE INDIANS. SOME WERE IN FAVOUR OF URGING REPRESENTATIVES IN NEW DELHI TO SEEK AN INCREASED LEVEL OF MEETINGS BETWEEN THE TWELVE AND SENIOR INDIAN OFFICIALS. OTHERS ARGUED THAT,
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