TNAG-2347-FCO40-3416-Political-relations-between-Hong-Kong--Italy-and-China-1991 — Page 20

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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ITALY/CHINA.

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24 July 1991

Miss M MacGlashan

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Miss K Coombs

Mr P Watson

MY CALL ON SECRETARY-GENERAL BOTTAI, 23 JULY

1.

This was an exceptionally warm meeting. Minister Ago was present: I have reported by telegram the full briefing I was given on Italian views on Yugoslavia.

2.

On bilateral matters, Bottai said that the Anglo-Italian Summit due to be held in Italy should be kept quite separate from the NATO Rome Summit on 6-8 November. But the autumn was already exceptionally crowded, so he would prefer to invite British Ministers to a top level meeting in Italy in January or February 1992. He would instruct Ambassador Biancheri to follow this up with the FCO, perhaps soon after the summer break. He took my point that I did not want to "lose" this meeting in the increasing mass of multilaterals with which Ministers were now afflicted.

3. I told Bottai that we now had a new PUS, Sir David Gillmore, and that I had suggested that Sir David put Italy on his list for a visit as soon as he could manage it not, of course, before 1992. When Sir David came, or if Bottai himself was in London, I hoped we could manage a bilateral between then on the pattern he had developed with Sir P. Wright. Bottai said this was an excellent idea, and he hoped to meet Sir D. Gillmore soon (he though he had not met him while Ambassador in London).

A.

On Italy's Balkan Route initiative, Bottai was as I feared completely unbriefed, despite warning, and took my bout de papier based on para 3 of FCO telno 252 to Rome without comment, except to say we should continue to be in touch with Ferrarin.

5.

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On China, I spoke from my brief to the effect that we were delighted that the Hong Kong Airport Project was to go ahead. noted that President Andreotti and Mr Major had discussed China at their 14 July bilateral in London; were both likely to visit Beijing this autumn; and had agreed to compare notes

or at least keep in touch - about their visits. There was no fixed date yet for Mr Major's trip. Bottai agreed with my points, saying that Andreotti was due to travel on 21 or 22 September, ie

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