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MDLIAN
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YOUR EXCHANGES WIHT PINHEIRO WILL MAINTAIN THE MOMENTUM OF
ANGLO-PORTUGUESE COOPERATION AS OUR SUCCESSIVE PRESIDENCIES
APPROACH.
4. PORTUGUESE FOREIGN POLICY REMAINS FIRMLY FOCUSSED ON EUROPE AND SOUTHERN AFRICA. THEY HAVE SPECIFIC INTERESTS IN EAST TIMOR AND MACAU. AND, ON THE EVE OF PORTUGAL'S ENTRY INTO THE TROIKA, THEY ARE TRYING TO FAMILIRISE THEMSELVES MORE FULLY WITH THE MIDDLE EAST. PINHEIRO HIMSELF AHS MADE SUCCESIVE TOURS OF THE MAGHREB AND ISRAEL, SYRIA AND JORDAN IN RECENT WEEKS (MY TELNO 235). ON 11 JUNE HE WILL
BE VISITING TRIPOLI FOR A MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE FOUR PLUS FIVE.
EUROPEAN POLICY
5. PORTUGAL'S OBJECTIVES IN BOTH IGCS HAVE INCREASINGLY CENTERED ON COHESION. THEY HAVE PROPOSED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SEPARATE COHESION FUND AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF POLITICAL UNION. IN THE
NEGOTIATIONS WITH EFTA TOO, A KEY PORTUGUESE OBJECTIVE HAS BEEN AGREEMENT ON A COHESION FUND. ON EMU, THE PORTUGUESE HAVE LONG ACCEPTED THE FINAL DELORS OBJECTIVES, AND COHESION IS SEEN AS THE TALISMAN WITH WHICH TO WARD OFF AN UNACCEPTABLE TWO-SPEED EUROPE WITH PORTUGAL IN THE SLOW LANE.
6. PINHEIRO HAS WAVERED FROM TIME-TO-TIME ON CFSP, BUT THE PORTUGUESE NOW SEEM TO BE CLEAR THAT NOTHING (INCLUDING THE ABSORPTION OF THE WEU INTO EPU) MUST BE DONE TO WEAKEN NATO. THEY ENVISAGE, HOWEVER, A SOLUTION WHICH WULD DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE SHORT AND LONG-TERM, AND WOULD NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF EUROPE ACQUIRING A DEFENCE DIMENSION AT SOME STAGE IN THE FUTURE.
SOUTHERN AFRICA
7. THE ANGOLA PEACE ACCORDS SIGNED ON 31 MAY WERE AN UNDOUBTED TRIUMPH FOR PORTUGUESE DIPLOMACY (MY TELNO 248). THE PORTUUGESE ARE NOW CONCENTRATING ON THEIR (CONSIDERABLE) INVOLVEMENT MONITORING THE CEASEFIRE AND IN UNIFYING AND TRAINING THE NATIONAL ARMY.
EAST TIMOR
PROMOTE
8. PORTUGUESE POLICY REMAINS CONSTRAINED BY THE CONSTITUTIONAL IMPERATIVE THAT BOTH PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER SHOULD
THE SELF DETERMINATION AND INDEPENDENCE OF EAST TIMOR. PORTUGUESE POLITICAL PARTIES HAVE AGREED TERMS FOR A PARLIAMENTARY
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