TNAG-1956-FCO40-2785-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 68

21

1.

RESTRICTED

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

Telephone 01-

270 2629

263

R J Green Esq

Director of Rural Affairs

Department of the Environment

2 Marsham Street

LONDON SW1P 3EB

Dear Bob Вов

HKCISI ||

Your reference

Our reference

Date

12 October 1989

Mr Holo

Pl speak

CITES CONFERENCE IN LAUSANNE: AFRICAN ELEPHANTS

W/13/10

In the absence of a specific negotiating brief, the UK delegation in Lausanne has been working on the basis that their negotiating remit on African elephants consists of the exchange of correspondence between Mr Trippier and Mr Waldegrave (letters of 22 September and 28 September respectively).

2. It is common ground between us and recognised by Mr Trippier in his letter to Mr Waldegrave that decisions taken in Lausanne: "have significant implications for UK foreign policy". Against this background it is unfortunate that Mr Trippier's statement on the Lausanne Conference was not cleared with us before being released to the Press Association on 11 October. You explained that because of the difficulty in communicating with your Ministers in Blackpool it had not been possible to clear the statement with us. As I indicated on the telephone if we had been given time to comment we would have wished to amend some of the references to Hong Kong.

3. For the future we must see and agree in advance any press releases which you may wish to issue on HMG's policy on African elephants at the CITES Conference. And in the unlikely event that you would wish to consider a change of policy we must be consulted in advance and in a way which gives us time to seek a Ministerial decision here.

Yours suicesely,

Joku

E J Hughes

Maritime, Aviation and Environment Department

C45AEJ/SLK

/cc: