TNAG-2110-FCO40-3009-Hong-Kong-participation-in-international-organisations-1990 — Page 306

LUNT JVLATIML

CONFIDENTIAL

FM OTTAWA

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 166

OF 201545Z FEBRUARY 90

INFO PRIORITY UKDEL NATO, MODUK

MODUK FOR DACU

FROM UKDEL OPEN SKIES

#KCOBL 10

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

27 FEB 1990

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

REGISTRY action Taken

164126 MDHIAN 7811

8

MY TELNO 148: OPEN SKIES: AREA OF APPLICATION

1. WE ARE LIKELY TO COME UNDER PRESSURE BEFORE THE END OF THE OTTAWA CONFERENCE TO INDICATE HOW WE WOULD PROPOSE TO DEFINE UK TERRITORY FOR THE PURPOSE OF OPEN SKIES. ALTHOUGH WORKING GROUP B HAS SO FAR HAD NO MORE THAN A FIRST RUN OVER THE GROUND AT THIS POINT, IT WILL HAVE TO REVERT TO IT IN GREATER DETAIL IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

2. WHILE THE SWEEPING US DECISION TO INCLUDE ALL THE TERRITORIES OVER WHICH IT EXERCISES SOVEREIGNTY HAS TAKEN SOME OF THE WIND OUT OF THE SOVIET SAILS, IT SETS A PRECEDENT WHICH OTHERS MAY WELL BE PRESSED TO FOLLOW. AS SEEN FROM HERE THERE WOULD BE ADVANTAGE IN BEING AS OPEN AS POSSIBLE, IE TO INCLUDE GIBRALTAR, BERMUDA AND THE CARIBBEAN TERRITORIES. IT IS UNLIKELY THAT WE SHOULD BE PRESSED TO MAKE SPECIFIC MENTION OF ISLANDS IN THE PACIFIC, WHERE WE STATION NO FORCES. AND WE CAN IF NECESSARY MAKE A GOOD CASE FOR THE EXCLUSION OF THE FALKLANDS AND OTHER ISLANDS IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC ON THE GROUNDS THAT THEY ARE FAR REMOVED FROM THE FOCUS OF AN OPEN SKIES REGIME. ON HONG KONG, WE COULD, IF CHALLENGED, MAKE THE OBVIOUS POINT THAT OVERFLIGHT AND SENSING OF THE COLONY IS IMPRACTICABLE WITHOUT EXPRESS CHINESE PERMISSION: FOR THE FUTURE, ON GROUNDS OF TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY BUT IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES BECAUSE OBSERVATION AIRCRAFT WOULD NEED TO ENTER CHINESE AIRSPACE. SIMILAR ARGUMENTS WOULD APPLY TO THE SBAS IN CYPRUS. WE HAVE ALREADY MADE THE POINT PRIVATELY TO THE SOVIET DELEGATION THAT THE CYPRUS GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TO PERMIT ENTRY OF OBSERVATION AIRCRAFT CYPRIOT AIRSPACE, AND THAT SURVEILLANCE OF THE SBAS WOULD BE PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT SIMULTANEOUS SENSING OF CYPRIOT TERRITORY. CYPRUS WOULD OF COURSE PERMIT THIS UNDER THE CDE, AND SINCE WE ENVISAGE THE FUTURE OPENING OF AN OPEN SKIES TREATY TO OTHER STATES, PRIMARILY THE NNA MEMBERS OF THE CSCE, COVERAGE OF THE SBAS COULD ALSO BE PROVIDED FOR BY CYPRIOT ACCESSION TO OPEN SKIES. ONE POSSIBLE PROBLEM IS DIEGO GARCIA. THE US DELEGATION HAVE TAKEN THE

PAGE

1

CONFIDENTIAL

INTO