TNAG-2353-FCO40-3423-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1991 — Page 158

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HANOI

TELNO 439

OF 25123OZ NOVEMBER 91

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

HKD

$26/p\

023756

MDHOAN 5431

P/W LORDC'S VINTS

26

W 2015

LORD CAITHNESS'S PROPOSED VISIT TO VIETNAM: SUBJECTS FOR

DISCUSSION

1.

WE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING HOW LORD CAITHNESS CAN BEST MAKE USE OF HIS MEETINGS WITH VIETNAMESE MINISTERS SEMI COLON AND HOW HE MIGHT PRESENT OUR ASSISTANCE TO VIETNAM TO BEST EFFECT, GRANTED THAT OUR BILATERAL RELATIONS ARE STILL RELATIVELY THIN.

VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS

2.

LORD CAITHNESS WILL WANT TO REVIEW THE PROGRESS MADE SO FAR WITH THE ORDERLY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME. BY JANUARY, ALL REMAINING DOUBLE-BACKERS AND THE FIRST GROUP OF POST-29 OCTOBER ARRIVALS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO VIETNAM. WE MAY HAVE STARTED TO DEPORT CRIMINALS. WE HOPE THAT, ASSUMING THE 10 DECEMBER OPERATION GOES SMOOTHLY, THE VIETNAMESE WILL QUICKLY AGREE TO THE MODALITIES OF ORP II. IF THERE IS ANY SIGN OF THE VIETNAMESE DRAGGING THEIR FEET, IT MIGHT HELP FOCUS THEIR MINDS TO PROPOSE THAT LORD CAITHNESS SIGN THE ORP II TEXT DURING HIS VISIT. HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD NOT SUGGEST THIS UNTIL IT IS CLEAR THAT WE WILL NOT OTHERWISE MAKE THE REQUISITE PROGRESS: WE DO NOT WANT THE VIETNAMESE TO DELAY

UNNECESSARILY.

OTHER ISSUES

3. IN VIEW OF VO VAN KIET'S PERSONAL INTEREST IN THE PROPOSED MACRO-ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT TRAINING/INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (YOUR MODEV 25 AND ODA MODEVS 26 AND 27), WE SUGGEST THAT LORD CAITHNESS RAISES THIS WHEN HE MEETS THE PRIME MINISTER. WE HAVE ASKED THE ODA WHETHER LORD CAITHNESS MIGHT USE THE OCCASION TO ANNOUNCE OR PRESENT SOMETHING CONCRETE TO VO VAN KIET. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO THIS TOO. OTHER TOPICS WHICH LORD CAITHNESS MIGHT RAISE WITH VO VAN KIET OR NGUYEN MANH CAM INCLUDE:

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP

VIETNAM'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

HUMAN RIGHTS