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PRIORITE
INFO ALL COREU PRIORITE UN MISSIONS NEW YORK AND GENEVA ROUTINE
CPE/LON 238
11.05.88 1630 HRS
DIFFUSION RESTREINTE
MEETINGS OF AFGHANISTAN AD HOC WORKING GROUP AND ASIA WORKING GROUP, 19-20 MAY
REF: CPE/SEC 251
1
·
THE UNITED KINGDOM BELIEVES THAT THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP ON
AFGHANISTAN SCHEDULED FOR 19 MAY WILL PROVIDE A NECESSARY
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TWELVE TO TAKE FORWARD THEIR THINKING ON EC
POLICY TOWARDS AFGHANISTAN DURING THE WITHDRAWAL OF SOVIET
TROOPS. THE UK FOUND FRANCE'S SUMMARY OF THE DIFFICULT PROBLEMS
SURROUNDING THE PROVISION OF AID (CPE/PAR 86) VERY HELPFUL.
2 =
•
THE UK BELIEVES THAT THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP, IN DISCUSSING
THE POLITICAL ASPECTS OF THE RETURN OF REFUGEES, WILL ALSO NEED
TO CONSIDER THE QUESTION OF HUMANITARIAN AID TO INTERNAL REFUGEES
AND TO IMPOVERISHED RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT AFGHANISTAN. IT WILL
ALSO HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE BROADER ISSUE OF
RECONSTRUCTION AID, AS THE RETURN OF REFUGEES MAY IN PART, BE
DEPENDENT ON THE PRIOR COMPLETION OF KEY REHABILITATION PROJECTS
(IE THE RESTORATION OF WATER SUPPLIES THE CLEARANCE OF
2
MINEFIELDS). THIS RAISES THE QUESTION OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH
HUMANITARIAN AID TO RETURNEES/INTERNAL REFUGEES/RESIDENTS AND
RECONSTRUCTION AID CAN BE SUPPLIED WITHOUT BENEFITTING THE PDPA
REGIME.
THE UK THEREFORE BELIEVES THAT THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP
SHOULD PREPARE POLITICAL GUIDELINES WHICH EMBRACE ALL THESE
POINTS AND NOT JUST THE SPECIFIC ISSUE OF THE RETURN OF REFUGEES.
3. THE UK WOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER THE PRESIDENCY WILL
BE PREPARING A PAPER AS A BASIS FOR DISCUSSION AT THE AD HOC
WORKING GROUP AND WHETHER THEY ENVISAGE THE INVOLVEMENT OF UN OR
OTHER EXPERTS IN ADDITION TO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ASIA
WORKING GROUP.
4 =
AS REGARDS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE ASIA WORKING GROUP, THE
UK THANKS THE PRESIDENCY FOR THE PROPOSED AGENDA. THE UK WOULD
LIKE TO ADD ONE FURTHER ITEM: INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES, FOLLOW-UP
TO EC/ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING IN DUSSELDORF. IT WOULD BE
HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT ITEMS THE PRESIDENCY INTEND TO RAISE UNDER
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