FE 6
VS 076/84
9/8184
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WHICH WE ARE WORKING THE REASON WHY WE HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING THESE NEGOTIATIONS SO TENACIOUSLY AND WITH SUCH CLEAR OBJECTIVES IS TO SECURE AN AGREEMENT COVERING ALL THE KEY POINTS I HAVE DESCRIBED
WHICH WE CAN HONOURABLY COMMEND TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.
QUESTION: (ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE LIAISON GROUP THE DATE OF THE MOVE TO HONG KONG, AND TERMINATION)
ANSWER: WE HAVE CONSIDERED THE SIZE OF THE GROUP. IT WOULD HAVE 5 MEMBERS ON EACH SIDE WHO WILL BE APPOINTED BY EACH SIDE AND IN DOING THAT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT HONG KONG INTERESTS WILL BE FULLY REPRESENTED. THERE IS ALSO AGREEMENT ON A LIMITED NUMBER OF SUPPORTING STAFF, SECRETARIES, INTERPRETERS, DRIVERS AND SO ON.
AS TO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE DATES THAT I HAVE DESCRIBED, THOSE DATES CLEARLY EMERGED FROM THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATION IN WHICH WE HAVE BEEN TAKING PART AND THEY DO, I BELIEVE, REPRESENT A SENSIBLE SET OF COMPROMISES BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES
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QUESTION: (IN EFFECT, WHAT IF THE AGREEMENT IS BROKEN).
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ANSWER: THE POSITION WILL BE EXACTLY THE SAME AS IN ANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT: THAT EACH SIDE TO AN INTERNATIONALLY BINDING AGREEMENT WILL OBVIOUSLY MAKE THE STRONGEST REPRESENTATIONS TO THE OTHER BY WAY OF COMPLAINT IN ORDER TO GET IT REMEDIED AND THE IMPORTANCE OF AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT IS THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH IT IS BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION OF NEGOTIATIONS CONDUCTED OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, IN GOOD FAITH, IN ORDER TO TRY AND REACH A BALANCE OF THE INTERESTS OF THE NATIONS INVOLVED BECAUSE IF IT IS AN AGREEMENT THAT MEETS THE BALANCE OF THOSE INTERESTS THEN IT IS AN AGREEMENT THAT HAS THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE OF BEING UPHELD. AND THE INTERESTS WHICH ARE FOREMOST IN OUR MINDS THROUGHOUT ALL THESE NEGOTIATIONS ARE THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
ENDS VERBATIM SERVICE 076/84
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L.P.S.
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