TNAG-1791-FCO40-2551-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 115

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HKD 243/8

065167 MDLIAN 8975

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FM BON COREU

TO ALL COREU PRIORITE

CPE 'PRES 'BON 304

11-04-88 1823 HRS L.T.

DIFFUSION RESTRE INTE

OBJET: EC-ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING, DUESSELDORF 02.'03. MAY,

REF.:

1988

CPE 'PRES 'BON 165

PART TWO

THE MINISTERS WERE SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RECENT

DRAMATIC INCREASES IN THE FLOW OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WHICH POSE SEVERE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND SECURITY

PROBLEMS TO THE ASEAN COUNTRIES. THEY WERE OF THE VIEW THAT AS THE PROBLEM ORIGINATED WITH VIETNAM, VIETNAM SHOULD, IN CONFORMITY WITH HUMANITARIAN PRINCIPLES AND IN THE INTEREST OF REGIONAL PEACE, STABILITY AND HARMONY, TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO HALT THE FLOW. THEY URGED VIETNAM TO EARNESTLY CO-

OPERATE WITH THE UNHCR AND THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES IN EN- SURING THE SUCCESS OF THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMM (ODP).

ASEAN AND EC MINISTERS STRESSED THEIR DETERMINATION TO

MAINTAIN THEIR COORDINATED RESPONSE TO THE SITUATION CON- CERNING INDOCHINESE REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS.

PARA 9 AFGHANISTAN EC WILL FORMULATE AT A LATER STAGE.

PARA 10 MIDDLE EAST

THE MINISTERS DISCUSSED

DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

AND EKSPRESSED THEIR CONCERN ABOUT THE SITUATION IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES. THEY REFERRED TO DECLARATIONS AND DE- MARCHES MADE BY THE TWELVE, INCLUDING THE DECLARATIONS OF FEBRUARY 23RD, JULY 13TH, 1987, AND FEBRUARY 8TH, 1988, AND TO RESOLUTIONS OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL. THEY SUPPORTED THE IDEA ON AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AS THE SUITABLE FRAMEWORK FOR A POLITICAL SOLUTION WHICH MUST TAKE INTO CON- SIDERATION THE INALIENABLE RIGHT OF THE PALESTINIAN TO SELF- DETERMINATION. THE TWELVE AND ASEAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE SOVEREIGNTY, INTEGRITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF LEBANON. THE IRAQ- IRAN CONFLICT IS CONTINUING TO CAUSE GREAT HUMAN SUFFERING

AND HEAVY MATERIAL LOSS. IT THREATENS THE STABILITY OF THE WHOLE REGION. THE MINISTERS REAFFIRMED THEIR SUPPORT FOR A SPEEDY RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 598.

PARA 11 SOUTHERN AFRICA

WITH REGARD TO SOUTHERN AFRICA, THE MINISTERS REJECTED

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