C d'A
CONFIDENTIAL
PA
74
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CC: A Godson Esq, SEAD, FCO Chanceries: Hanoi
Bangkok
Peking
HKD, FCO
Moscow Washington
DPA, Hong Kong
CAMBODIA
1. I attach the record, which we have just received, of the consultations between Mr McLaren and M. Martin on 26 July. There are several points of interest in addition to those already identified in the summary report which we received by telegram (FCO telno 426):
2.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Co Thach's blunt statement to Martin that the PRK (Phnom Penh regime) had to stay, with Hun Sen in charge;
Mr McLaren's remark that he had been encouraged by his own talks in Peking recently (we have seen no record of these);
Martin's statement that «he thought that some- thing could be worked out between Hun Sen and Prince Sihanouk» and his later reference to a two-party coalition. Mr McLaren said that he did not think that such a bilateral agreement between Hun Sen and Sihanouk was realistic. (Martin's remarks are the clearest indication I have seen that the French may be thinking along these lines);
Martin's keen interest in arrangements for an International Conference and his suggestion that it might not be necessary to include all members of ASEAN;
Mr McLaren's undertaking to review in September the question of relations between Vietnam and the EC, and his indication that Britain would not want to hold out against a general consensus; Martin was keen that such a positive signal should be sent to Vietnam.
The record also reminded me of our undertaking to try to give the French an early read-out of the Prime Minister's visit to South-East Asia. But I assume that there was a Community Briefing in Bangkok.
3. I am also reminded of a point that I did not bother to record after my lunch with M. Chesnel, Head of Quai South East Asian Department, on 22 August. I commented to him on the fact that Britain and France and other governments seemed
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