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INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
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036153
'MDHIAN 8636
HONG KONG TELNO 915 AND 919 : IAEA SEMINAR IN HONG KONG
3017
1. THE IAEA ARE NOT (NOT) PROPOSING THAT HKG TAKE ON THE WHOLE TASK OF HOSTING AND ARRANGING THE SEMINAR. THEY WOULD BE CONTENT WITH THE FORMULATION 'ORGANISED BY THE IAEA, ASSISTED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND HKNIC'. WE CONSIDER IT ESSENTIAL THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS MENTIONED BEFORE HKNIC AND IS SEEN TO BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED EVEN IF MOST OF THE ARRANGEMENTS ARE UNDERTAKEN BY THE IAEA OR HKNIC LOCALLY.
2. THE IAEA HAVE ALREADY INVITED SPEAKERS (EXCEPT FOR THE CHINESE) TO PARTICIPATE. THE AGENCY WILL MEET THEIR COSTS. THE AGENCY IS ALSO WILLING TO INVITE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, USING THE ABOVE FORMULATION, TO NOMINATE SPEAKERS FOR THE SEMINAR, AND WOULD, UNLESS HKNIC WISH TO DO SO, MEET ALSO THE COSTS OF THE CHINESE SPEAKERS. THEY ARE ASSUMING THAT HKNIC WILL MEET LOCAL COSTS INVOLVED WITH THE SEMINAR.
3. HKG INPUT, IN ASSOCIATION WITH HKNIC WOULD BE TO ARRANGE (AGAIN USING THE ABOVE FORMULATION) FOR THE MEDIA TO ATTEND. WE UNDERSTAND THAT MRS ANSON CHAN WILL GIVE THE OPENING STATEMENT (FOLLOWED BY DR BLIX, THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE IAEA). HKG'S INVOLVEMENT WOULD BE SEEN TO BE COMPLETE IF HKG OFFICIALS COULD ALSO SHARE IN THE TASK OF INTRODUCING SUBSEQUENT SPEAKERS. AS ALREADY DISCUSSED BETWEEN IAEA AND HKNIC, THERE IS NO (NO) DIFFICULTY WHATSOEVER IF THE LOCAL SEMINAR SUPPORT STAFF ARE ALL PROVIDED BY HKNIC.
4. WE TRUST THE ABOVE EXPLANATION CLARIFIES MATTERS. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS ON CHINESE REACTIONS TO SUCH AND INVOLVEMENT BY HKG (PARA 3 OF TUR), WE SHOULD LIKE TO ASK THE IAEA TO GO AHEAD ON THIS BASIS WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY.
CLARK
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