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SECRET FM FCO
21 JUN1990
TO DESKBY 19020OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 1145
OF 18100OZ JUNE 90
f
YOUR TELNOS 1837 AND 1896: REVIEW OF VISA POLICY FOR NATIONALS FROM COMMUNIST STATES.
1. WE ARE GLAD THAT YOU HAVE NOW AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HUNGARIAN TRADE OFFICE AND THAT YOU PROPOSE TO LOOK AT YOUR POLICY ON PERMANENT REPRESENTATION BY EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ON A COUNTRY BY COUNTRY BASIS.
2. WE ALSO WELCOME YOUR PROPOSALS TO DROP THE VISA REQUIREMENT FOR GDR NATIONALS AND FURTHER LIBERALISE YOUR VISA REGIME FOR CERTAIN EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. BUT BEFORE YOU PUT THESE PROPOSALS TO EXCO, YOU MAY WISH TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE FOLLOWING
COMMENTS:
(I) ALTHOUGH ROMANIA IS MAKING STEADY, IF AT TIMES ERRATIC, PROGRESS TOWARDS DEMOCRACY AND PRESENTS LESS OF AN INTELLIGENCE THREAT THAN BULGARIA, IT IS NOT IN THE SAME LEAGUE AS POLAND, HUNGARY AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND WE DO NOT WANT TO GIVE THE ROMANIANS THE IMPRESSION THAT WE THINK IT IS. FOR POLITICAL AND PRESENTATIONAL REASONS, WE WOULD THEREFORE PREFER TO SEE ROMANIA AND BULGARIA GROUPED TOGETHER IN THE MORE RESTRICTIVE CATEGORY. WE ARE GLAD TO NOTE FROM SECOND TUR THAT YOU HAVE ALSO COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION.
(II) WE NOTE THAT YOU HAVE INCLUDED THE PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF YEMEN (PDRY) IN THE FIRST CATEGORY. IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THE PDRY AND THE YEMEN ARAB REPUBLIC MERGED ON 22 MAY AND THAT NEW PASSPORTS WILL SOON START TO BE ISSUED IN THE NAME OF THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN, WE SEE CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING A DUAL APPROACH AND SUGGEST THAT THE PORY SHOULD BE DELETED FROM THE LIST.
(III) YOU SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING WAYS OF RELAXING OUR VISA REGIME FOR VIETNAM, WITH A VIEW TO SHORTENING THE LENGTH OF TIME REQUIRED TO PROCESS VISAS, PARTICULARLY FOR BUSINESS VISITORS.
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED
IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER
SECTION 3 (4) OF THE
PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958
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