TNAG-2181-FCO40-3118-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 47

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The Luxembourger

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are

now thanked

Miss Magosen Mr Haghet

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Mr. Payt, HKD 2857

RECORD OF LUNCH HOSTED BY M. POOS, LUXEMBOURG, 23 MAY

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Present

Mr Maude

Mrs Campbell,

HMA Luxembourg

Mr Palmer,

HM Embassy, Luxembourg Mr Sheinwald, ECD (I)

Miss Ewan, APS/Mr Maude

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* RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

1 8 JUN 1990

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

Mr Poos,

Minister of Foreign Affairs, External Trade and Cooperation, Minister of Defence HE Mr Molitor,

Luxembourg Ambassador to London

Mr Berns, Director of

Economic Affairs, MFA Mr Spautz, Protocol

Dept, MFA

Mr Steinmetz, European

Division, MFA

Hong Kong and China

1.

Mr Maude said that we were grateful for all the help which Luxembourg had given over Hong Kong. Luxembourg's assurances scheme had helped to strengthen confidence in Hong Kong. Chinese Government's recent decision to release detainees and end martial law in Tibet had been carefully timed. He thought that the EC might want to look again at the Madrid measures after the anniversary of Tiananmen Square. Although the process of political reform was stalled, the indications were that the liberals were winning the power battles on economic reform. We needed to give the librals some encouragement. Mr Poos said that he would not be opposed to looking at the Madrid Declaration again, but he thought we should not repeal all the measures immediately. It was essential to set some conditions such as economic reform, improvement in the business climate and progress on human rights. He also suggested that China's attitude to Hong Kong was another element which we should take into account when looking at repealing the measures.

Eastern Europe

2.

Mr Poos said that there had been a real improvement in the situation in Eastern Europe. Under Lome, the EC gave economic aid to a number of countries who did not have good human rights records. We should therefore not be too insistent on Eastern European countries' human rights records when considering aid to them but we obviously had to impose some conditionality. He was in favour of maintaining links with Romania and Bulgaria as they emerged from a period of dictatorship. We had to help them to continue along the road