TNAG-2178-FCO40-3115-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 158

CONFIDENTIAL

FM STOCKHOLM

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 36

OF 19101OZ JANUARY 90

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY

DIST? TCD 340/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 2 4 FEB 1990

27

033052

MDLIAN 1669

YOUR TELNO 87 TO WASHINGTON: HONG KONG. BERNATION AEGS

ORT

DESK

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

SUMMARY

1 IMMIGRATION MINISTER CONFIRMS THAT SWEDISH GOVERNMENT WILL STUDY

THE PROBLEM SYMPATHETICALLY.

DETAIL

2. I CALLED ON MRS LOOW, THE MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR IMMIGRATION MATTERS, ON 19 JANUARY. SHE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR IMMIGRATION AND THE HEAD OF THE RELEVANT SECTION OF THE

MINISTRY.

3. I WENT THROUGH THE POINTS WE HAD MADE TO THE MFA (MY TELNO 5)

AND THE MINISTER SHOWED THAT SHE WAS ALREADY AWARE OF OUR REPRESENTATIONS. SHE ASKED WHETHER WE WERE SPEAKING IN A SIMILAR WAY TO OTHER EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS WITH INTERESTS IN HONG KONG AND I CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS THE CASE AND THAT WE WERE ALSO

APPROACHING INTERESTED GOVERNMENTS OUTSIDE EUROPE.

3. THE MINISTER CONFIRMED THAT HER DEPARTMENT WAS EXAMINING WITH

OTHER SWEDISH MINISTRIES CONCERNED THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG CITIZENS EMPLOYED BY SWEDISH COMPANIES. BUT SHE COULD NOT NECESSARILY BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS NOR GIVE ANY IDEA OF THE TIMETABLE. SHE THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD WISH TO CONSULT OTHER NORDIC COUNTRIES, EG NORWAY, BEFORE DECIDING POLICY. SWEDEN WAS ACUTELY CONSCIOUS OF IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS AT PRESENT, BECAUSE OF HER OWN TURKISH IMMIGRANTS. SHE WOULD STUDY YOUR STATEMENT (YOUR TELNO 2365 TO WASHINGTON)

SYMPATHETICALLY.

URE

YYYY

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