CONFIDENTIAL
073151 MDHOAN 3921
PRACTICAL VALUE.
5. ON SECURITY ISSUES MURATA EMPHASISED THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SECURITY OF WESTERN EUROPE TO JAPAN. IF THERE WAS A MAJOR WAR IN EUROPE, A SECOND FRONT WOULD BE OPENED IN JAPAN. JAPAN WANTED TO INTENSIFY DISCUSSIONS WITH UK, FRANCE AND FRG ON ARMS CONTROL AND SECURITY ISSUES. MIDDLE EAST
6. MURATA EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR US EFFORTS TO TAKE THE PEACE PROCESS FORWARD BUT WAS PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE PROSPECTS FOR SUCCESS. ON IRAN IRAQ, MURATA SPOKE FRANKLY ABOUT JAPAN'S RELATIONS WITH IRAN. JAPAN WAS NOT CONVINCED THAT A SECOND RESOLUTION WAS THE BEST WAY FORWARD, BUT RECOGNISED THAT ITS PASSAGE WAS PROBABLY INEVITABLE IN DUE COURSE. THERE WOULD BE DIFFICULT DECISIONS FOR JAPAN.
SOUTH AFRICA
7. THERE WAS A BRIEF EXCHANGE. MURATA SPOKE OF THE GROWING CONSCIOUSNESS IN JAPAN OF THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTH AFRICA. HE CONFIRMED THAT JAPAN DID NOT WANT FORMAL MEASURES TO REDUCE HER TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA, DESPITE THE EMBARRASSMENT OF BECOMING SOUTH AFRICA'S NUMBER ONE TRADING PARTNER IN DOLLAR TERMS. INFORMAL ADVICE TO JAPANESE FIRMS TO REDUCE THEIR ACTIVITY WITH SOUTH AFRICA WOULD CONTINUE. THE PUS STRESSED OUR INTEREST IN PRACTICAL COOPERATION ON AID. EUROPE
8. MURATA SAID THAT THE JAPANESE HAD BEEN ASTONISHED AND DISMAYED BY THE EUROPEAN OFFER ON ROLLBACK. THIS SEEMED TO INCREASE RESTRICTIONS VIS-A-VIS JAPAN. THE COMMISSION'S RESPONSE THAT JAPAN WOULD BENEFIT FROM INCREASED ACCESS FOR HONEY OR UMBRELLAS WAS EITHER WORTHLESS OR INSULTING. THIS FITTED BADLY IN THE CONTEXT OF A JAPAN WHICH, FROM THE PM DOWNWARDS, WAS GIVING INCREASED RECOGNITION TO EUROPE'S IMPORTANCE. (WE DEFERRED A REPLY: NONE OF THOSE PRESENT WERE BRIEFED). ON POLITICAL COOPERATION MURATA SAID THAT THE TROIKA TALKS WERE OFTEN A WASTE OF TIME. JAPAN WOULD PREFER TO TALK TO THE PRESIDENCY AND MAJOR MEMBER STATES. AFGHANISTAN
9.
GILLMORE OUTLINED OUR AND FRENCH CONCERNS THAT ANNOUNCEMENTS OF AID SHOULD BE CAREFULLY WORDED. THE CHANNELS THROUGH WHICH AID WAS DELIVERED WOULD HAVE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS. SOME UN AGENCIES MIGHT PUT MONEY INTO THE HANDS OF THE KABUL GOVERNMENT. MURATA SAID THAT THIS WAS JUST THE KIND OF AREA WHERE WE SHOULD STAY IN CLOSE TOUCH. GILLMORE SAID HE WOULD PURSUE THE SUBJECT FURTHER WITH THE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR. PUS TALKS
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