TNAG-2402-FCO40-3489-Vietnamese-migrants-Orderly-Repatriation-Programme-(ORP)-1992 — Page 2

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FM HANOI

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INFO PRIORITY BANGKOK, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, JAKARTA

INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR, MANILA, SINGAPORE, UKREP GENEVA INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, PEKING, WASHINGTON, ODA, DTI

VISIT OF MR GOODLAD TO VIETNAM, 9-12 SEPTEMBER

SUMMARY

1. HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL VISIT, BUILDING ON CLOSE CONTACTS OVER PAST FEW YEARS ON VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS TO DEMONSTRATE OUR FIRM INTEREST IN HELPING TO DEVELOPE VIETNAM, INCREASE TRADE AND BRITISH INVESTMENT. A GOOD START HAS BEEN MADE, BUT OUR FUTURE SUCCESS WILL DEPEND ON TURNING WORDS INTO DEEDS. RECORDS OF DISCUSSIONS

BY BAG.

DETAIL

2. MR GOODLAD'S VISIT TO VIETNAM WAS WELL TIMED. HE WAS WARMLY WELCOMED BY THE VIETNAMESE IN SPITE OF THEIR PREOCCUPATION WITH THE IMMINENT MINISTERIAL RESHUFFLE. OUR SUCCESS IN INITIATING THE FINAL PHASE OF THE ORDERLY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME HAS PRODUCED THE BASIS FOR EXPANDING UK/VIETNAM RELATIONS AND STARTING TO CASH IN ON THE GOODWILL ALREADY CREATED.

3. MR GOODLAD SAW A WIDE RANGE OF MINISTERS OR VICE MINISTERS IN HANOI, VISITED QUANG NINH PROVINCE FROM WHICH MANY OF THE VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS ORIGINATED AND INCLUDED A FULL DAY'S PROGRAMME IN HO CHI MINH CITY WHERE HE HAD TALKS WITH THE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE AND MET A WIDE RANGE OF THE (INCREASING) COMMUNITY OF BRITISH BUSINESSMEN. IN THE WARMTH OF THEIR RECEPTION, MR GOODLAD'S INTERLOCUTORS UNDERLINED VIETNAMS INTEREST IN DOING BUSINESS WITH THE UK, ENCOURAGING THE (LIMITED) CONTRIBUTION WE HAVE ALREADY MADE BILATERALLY AND THROUGH THE EC REINTEGRATION PROGRAMME TO VIETNAM'S ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND THE GROWING INTEREST OF BRITISH INDUSTRY, PARTICULARLY OUR VERY MAJOR INVOLVEMENT IN THE OIL SECTOR, IN DOING TRADE WITH AND INVESTING IN VIETNAM.

4. WITH THE VICE FOREIGN MINISTER THERE WAS A REAL EXCHANGE

OF VIEWS ON A RANGE OF REGIONAL ISSUES, PARTICULARLY CHINA AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, ASEAN AND THE NORMALIZATION OF VIETNAM'S RELATIONS

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