CONFIDENTIAL
170315 MDHIAN 8754,
5. IT IS LESS IMPORTANT TO RUSH THIS EXERCISE THAN TO GET THE TERMS OF THE LETTER RIGHT. NIEN WILL BE ABROAD FROM
15 JANUARY TO 1 FEBRUARY. THEREAFTER THERE IS THE WEEK OF TET. THIS SHOULD GIVE TIME FOR SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH UNHCR AND THE EC AND TO CLEAR THE TEXT WITH HONG KONG AND OURSELVES. IT WILL ALSO BE NECESSARY TO CLEAR LINES WITH NO 10 BEFORE THE MINISTER WRITES SINCE YOU SHOULD AIM TO AUTHORISE ME TO SIGN THE MODALITIES AGREEMENT AS QUICKLY THEREAFTER AS POSSIBLE. WE SHALL
STILL THUS HAVE TO AGREE ON DATES FOR ORP II FLIGHTS.
6.
I HOPE THAT THE LETTER CAN CONTAIN CONCRETE OFFERS OF MONEY, SINCE SOMETHING NEW IS ESSENTIAL. THIS MEANS AT LEAST THE IDEAS IN PARAS 4 AND 5 OF MY TELNO 31. BUT THE MINISTER HOPES THAT ALL POSTS (INCLUDING HONG KONG) WILL GIVE CAREFUL THOUGHT TO OTHER IDEAS FOR GENERATING FRESH FINANCE, INCLUDING BUT NOT CONFINED
TO THE IDEAS IN PARAS 7 AND 8 OF THAT TELEGRAM. SEEN FROM HERE IT IS CRUCIAL TO SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO KICK-START
THE NEXT STAGE OF THE ORP STRATEGY. PROVIDING WE CAN KEEP UP THE MOMENTUM UNTIL THE SUMMER WE OUGHT THEN TO FIND OURSELVES IN A POSITION WHERE MORE FUNDING FROM HONG KONG WILL PASS LEGCO.
7.
THE MINISTER HAS TOLD HIS VIETNAMESE OPPOSITE NUMBERS THAT HE INTENDS TO VISIT BRUSSELS AND GENEVA. ANY VISIT TO BRUSSELS WILL NEED CAREFUL HANDLING GIVEN THE POLITICAL SENSITIVITIES SURROUNDING WILKINSON'S INITIATIVE. TACTICAL ADVICE FROM UKREP BRUSSELS AND UKMIS GENEVA ON HOW TO ACCELERATE THE FLOW OF
MONEY WOULD BE WELCOME.
8.
THE MINISTER WILL NOT BE BACK IN LONDON UNTIL 20 JANUARY. TELEGRAMS SHOULD ALSO BE COPIED TO ANDREW BURNS VISITING
NEW DELHI BETWEEN 14 AND 18 JANUARY.
WILLIAMS
YYYY
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