CONFIDENTIAL
175
156673 MDHIAN 5002
HKB 020126
90
CONFIDENTIAL
FM TOKYO
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 923
OF 19080OZ OCTOBER 1990
INFO IMMEDIATE MODUK (FOR HEAD SEC(O)C), RIYADH
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON
?
MY TELNO 846: IRAQ/KUWAIT: POSSIBLE JAPANESE CONTRIBUTION TO UK COSTS.
SUMMARY
1.
SIGNS OF POSSIBLE JAPANESE WILLINGNESS TO CONTRIBUTE TO UK COSTS IN THE GULF PROVIDED WE CAN IDENTIFY SUITABLE ITEMS.
DETAIL
2.
SINCE MY TUR, WHICH REPORTED A DISCIURAGING INITIAL RESPONSE AT WORKING LEVEL, THERE HAS BEEN FURTHER DISCUSSION IN THE MFA. SPEAKING OFF THE RECORD, ITO, HEAD OF SECOND WEST EUROPE DIVISION, TOLD HEAD OF CHANCERY LAST NIGHT (18 OCTOBER) THAT A MORE POSITIVE VIEW WAS NOW BEING TAKEN WITHIN THE MFA OF THE POSSIBILITY OF EARMARKING PART OF JAPAN'S SECOND ONE BILLION DOLLAR CONTRIBUTION TO THE GCC FUND AS A CONTRIBUTION TO UK COSTS. THIS WOULD REPRESENT A PRACTICLE DEMONSTRATION OF JAPAN'S COOPERATION WITH THE UK. OTHER DIVISIONS WERE ARGUING AGAINST THIS PROPOSAL ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE US MIGHT OBJECT TO THE UK RECEIVING QUOTE THEIR UNQUOTE MONEY AND THAT A PRECEDENT WOULD BE SET FOR GIVING SIMILAR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. HOWEVER ITO BELIEVED HE HAD CONSIDERABLE SUPPORT AT SENIOR LEVEL, INCLUDING FROM KURIYAMA AND OWADA.
3.
HE SAID NO SPECIFIC FIGURE WAS IN MIND, BUT HE THOUGHT ABOUT 10 PERCENT (IE 100 MILLION DOLLARS) MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE. THIS WOULD ALSO BE A SUM LIKELY TO BE WELCOMED BY THE UK MEDIA AS REPRESENTING A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION. IN ORDER TO OBTAIN APPROVAL FROM THE DIET FOR SUCH EXPENDITURE HOWEVER IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO IDENTIFY SOME SPECIFIC ITEMS OF A NON-MILITARY CHARACTER THAT THE MONEY COULD BE SPENT ON. HE THOUGHT THIS SUBJECT MIGHT USEFULLY BE PURSUED DURING MCLAREN'S FORTHCOMING
VISIT TO JAPAN.
COMMENT
4.
DRY.
THIS IS WELCOME NEWS DUT WE ARE EVIDENTLY NOT YET HOME AND IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL
1
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