Mr
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22/i.
N 243/3-0
35/1
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2011
CALL ON CLAUDE MARTIN
( Quai Director for Asia (Pacific)
Thanks for your briefing notes. The following points emerged.
1.
CAMBODIA
2.
On
Martin discounted the article in yesterday's Le Monde to the effect that Sihanouk had proposed deserting the other two elements in the coalition and going it alone with Hun Sen, if the latter would agree the dissolution of the existing puppet republic. He thought Sihanouk was much too crafty to allow himself to be led up that path, and would only go back to Cambodia if he could present himself as the broom which was sweeping away Vietnam. the other hand he did not want the Vietnamese to pull out too soon for fear that unless Chinese support for the Khmer Rouge had been withdrawn, the latter would be well- placed to take advantage of the situation. He thought the next round between Sihanouk and Hun Sen would be in Pyong Yang and in France again thereafter, but slightly discounted the report that there would be talks in India. though he noted that Natwa Singh had been in Paris on Monday. As for Sihanouk going to London in September, the French were in favour of anything which could help to build up his international status. The Russians were telling the French that they were putting pressure on the Vietnamese to be flexible over troop withdrawals but there was no sign from latest Vietnamese statements of any change over the 1990 deadline. Martin told me when he came to my reception last night that he would have a full briefing on the latest round of Sihanouk's talks made available to you, if you would go into the Quai on Tuesday.
AFGHANISTAN
3.
Deniau was currently in Pakistan seeing everybody including Zia, and going on to Delhi imminently to see Gandhi. He was bearing a message from Chirac. He was due back in Paris on 1 February, which would be very timely from the point of view of Robin McLaren's visit here, and McLaren would try to involve Deniau closely in that.
AUSTRALIA
4.
Martin would be accompanying Giraud to Australia. Leotard would probably be going too. The French intended to convey the signal of their willingness to resume a political dialogue with the Australians on both global and
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