TNAG-2314-FCO40-3358-Air-services-between-Hong-Kong-and-Australia-1991 — Page 85

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113737

MDLIAN 7786

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FM CANBERRA

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 533

OF 23014OZ JULY 91

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, DTP

HRC181/25

DTP FOR IAD

4

PW

CANBERRA TELNO 504: UK/HONG KONG/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES

1. EVANS (PERMANENT SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS) INVITED US TO CALL ON HIM ON 19 JULY FOR A DEBRIEFING ON HIS UK VISIT. EVANS REPEATED THE MESSAGE WHICH HE HAD IMPARTED TO SUNDERLAND (DTP) ABOUT AUSTRALIAN INTEREST IN EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF SEPARATE NEGOTIATION OF A HONG KONG/

AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT. HE CONFIRMED THAT THE AUSTRALIANS

WOULD BE FLEXIBLE ABOUT INTERPRETATION OF THE 1974 CMU BUT ADDED THAT

SOME FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS FOR QANTAS BEYOND HONG KONG TO EUROPE AND

ASIA WOULD BE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ANY DEAL. HE SAID THAT HIS

OFFICIALS WERE ALREADY IN TOUCH WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ABOUT

POSSIBLE DATES FOR A SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER MEETING IN HONG KONG.

MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS, BEAZLEY, WOULD BE VISITING HONG KONG IN SEPTEMBER TO GIVE AN ADDRESS ON

TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND IT WOULD BE IDEAL IF AN INITIAL MEETING COULD

HAVE TAKEN PLACE BEFORE THEN.

2.

EVANS SAID THAT, CONTRARY TO THE IMPRESSION WHICH THE UK HAD GAINED AT THE LAST ROUND OF TALKS IN CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA SAW ADVANTAGE IN MAKING PROGRESS BEFORE THE PART PRIVATISATION OF QANTAS. THE NEW PART OWNERS OF QANTAS, WHOEVER THEY MIGHT BE, WOULD INEVITABLY SEEK AN INPUT INTO AUSTRALIAN POLICY ON AIR SERVICES

AGREEMENTS. THIS WOULD ADD A MAJOR NEW ELEMENT OF UNCERTAINTY.

THERE WAS THEREFORE MUCH TO BE SAID FOR SEEKING PROGRESS IN

NEGOTIATIONS IN ADVANCE OF THE QANTAS SALE.

BARDER

YYYY

1

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