TNAG-2161-FCO40-3083-Hong-Kong-visa-abolition-agreements-1990 — Page 172

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

7 Taber

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politically sensitive and inextricably bound up with the current negotiations on the future of Hong Kong. funtil

1997 we cannot expect the Home Office to review the

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planning

regotiate

case for a BDT citizenship which would grant the right of separate VAAS

as are

abode for the smaller Dependent Territories, but

meanwhile we should take such palliative measures

in our power to show good will and ease the travel of

Bermudians to Europe. That/J Sharpe has felt the need to

write both to our Ambassador to the EC and to the Home

Office is a virtual admission that he does not feel

strong enough to negotiate alone with the governments of

major Western European States. Given HMG's ultimate

responsibility for the external relations of our

dependent territories, we should be failing in our

duty if we continued to distance ourselves from this

issue.

comed we

shall

be lobbyim

their behalf

at the appropriate

tume.

8. The Secretary of State on whom the Premier called on

31 January, gave his support in principle to Bermuda's

Should

efforts. We now put these words into practice by

instructing our Embassies to make approaches on Bermuda's

behalf to those Foreign Ministers of the six EC countries

with which an abolition agreement has not yet been

signed.

Without making any commitment on the future of

the BDTC citizenship, we have the opportunity here to

help resolve a thoroughly unsatisfactory and illogical

situation, which was neither of Bermuda's making nor the

intention of the Legilsators of the 1981 Act. Once the

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