TNAG-2161-FCO40-3083-Hong-Kong-visa-abolition-agreements-1990 — Page 20

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024203

MDHOAN 4006

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FM FCO

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HKC 345/1

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 2396

OF 171715Z DECEMBER 90-

AND TO ROUTINE VIENNA

(60)

RECLI

'N REGISTRY

04 JAN 1991

REGIS Action Talen

18|12.

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TOP COPY Q DIST?

YOUR TELNO 3707: ANGLO/AUSTRIAN VISA ABOLITION AGREEMENT

1. WE SHOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY SOME POINTS BEFORE WE PROCEED WITH THE AUSTRIANS. AS PARAGRAPH 4 OF MY TELNO 2274 MADE CLEAR, WE CANNOT FORESEE WHETHER THE AUSTRIANS WILL BE PREPARED TO PURSUE OPTION (B). WE COULD NOT SAY THAT WE ARE REASONABLY CONFIDENT THAT THEY WILL DO SO: INDICATIONS FROM THE EMBASSY HERE HAVE BEEN ENTIRELY NON-COMMITTAL. WE KNOW THAT THE AUSTRIANS ARE INCREASINGLY WORRIED ABOUT IMMIGRATION MATTERS BECAUSE OF

DEVELOPMENTS IN EASTERN EUROPE. THEY WILL NO DOUBT LOOK CAREFULLY AT ANY REVISION OF OUR VAA.

AS YOU

2. AS FOR THE PRESENT POSITION OF HONG KONG BDTC BEING AFFECTED, THIS IS INEVITABLE WHICHEVER OPTION WE PURSUE. KNOW, THE AUSTRIANS HAD BEEN OPERATING UNDER A MISAPPREHENSION ABOUT THE RETURNABILITY OF BDTCS. WE HAD HOPED THAT THE AUSTRIANS WOULD MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO BY TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THE TRUE POSITION. BUT THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE POSITION OF BDTCS AND BN (O) EVENTUALLY IN A DIPLOMATIC NOTE. WE HAD NO OPTION BUT TO RESPOND IN A FACTUALLY ACCURATE WAY (MY TELNO VISA 313, YOUR TELNO 2510 AND PARA 1 OF MY TELNO 2274 REFER).

3. WE SHALL DO OUR UTMOST TO PERSUADE THE AUSTRIANS TO AGREE TO OPTION (B). BUT IF THEY ARE NOT PREPARED TO DO SO, THE REMAINING OPTIONS WILL BE 2(A) AND (C) IN MY TELNO 2274. WE SHOULD POINT OUT THAT (A) WOULD BE THE STATUS QUO AS CLARIFIED IN OUR RECENT NOTE IE ONLY BN (0) AND BDTC PASSPORTS WITH AN ENDORSEMENT CONCERNING READMISSION TO THE UK COULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 1968 EXCHANGE OF NOTES. THE OTHER OPTION (C), WOULD BE FOR YOU TO PURSUE WITH AUSTRIA.

4.

WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE UNCERTAINTIES OUTLINED ABOVE, WE ARE HAPPY TO PURSUE OPTION (B) WITH THE AUSTRIANS. GRATEFUL TO KNOW (IF POSSIBLE BY 21 DECEMBER) WHETHER, WITH THESE CLARIFICATIONS, YOU STILL WISH US TO PROCEED ON YOUR BEHALF.

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