TNAG-1791-FCO40-2551-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 209

CONFIDENTIAL

6.

The Presidency made a strong appeal to the Commission to finalise its proposals for the agenda and for the Joint Declaration as soon as possible and in any case not later than the end of February. The Commission said that Community meetings had been scheduled which would make it possible to hand over proposals in good time for an ASEAN meeting on 15 March. It was difficult to forecast what the substance of the Community contribution would be.

But the Commission's expectation was that

-

partly because no proposals for an Oils and Fats Tax had emerged from the recent European Council there would be greater interest in political rather than economic subjects at this meeting. That said, the Commission envisage two broad items, as at Jakarta:

1.

2.

7.

International Economic Issues, subdivided into:

(a) a review of the international economic situation;

(b) the Uruguay Round

(c) Commodities

EC/ASEAN economic cooperation:

(a)

(b)

developments within ASEAN and the EC

a review of ASEAN/EC cooperation

The latter

I suggested that we needed to project more effectively the individual efforts of member states: when added to community contributions they made up a more impressive total than most ASEAN countries realised. This idea received general support, including from the Commission. said they were preparing a factual background note which could list member states development aid and investment. The Presidency invited contributions.

8.

I said it would be useful if the Presidency could provide an early indication of how they proposed to order the various subjects on the agenda between the two days. This might be of assistance to those Foreign Ministers who might not be able to attend for the whole meeting (I had already indicated that the Secretary of State was in this position.

9.

The Presidency's first draft for the Joint declaration to be issued after the meeting was given a general welcome though the Irish had predictable difficulties with the paragraph on security. The Presidency withdrew the para- graph about Afghanistan, agreeing with my point that such a paragraph could not possibly be drafted now. They will circulate a fresh version, taking account of the various detailed suggestions for amendments put forward at the meeting. I proposed all those mentioned in the brief except for the additional wording about the desirability of reciprocal arrangements for the confiscation of proceeds of drug trafficking which I judged would not run.

CONFIDENTIAL

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