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52704 MDHOAN 8064
BE STRONG POLITICAL OBJECTIONS TO ANY PROPOSAL FOR A MEETING ON PIRACY IN SINGAPORE. IT WAS NOT A SINGAPOREAN PROBLEM BUT SINGAPORE WOULD BE WILLING TO ATTEND A MEETING HELD ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION.
4. IN AUSTRALIA O'NEIL SPOKE TO WENSLEY, FIRST ASSISTANT SECRETARY IN THE MFA. SHE SAID THERE HAD BEEN 5 OR 6 RECENT ATTACKS ON AUSTRALIAN SHIPS IN THE MALACCA STRAITS AREA. AUSTRALIAN NAVAL SHIPS WOULD RESPOND TO ATTACKS ON AUSTRALIAN VESSELS WHENEVER THEY COULD DO SO. AUSTRALIA DID NOT DRAW A DISTINCTION BETWEEN ATTACKS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE TERRITORIAL WATERS. AUSTRALIA THOUGHT THE IMO WAS THE RIGHT ORGANISATION TO TAKE MATTERS FORWARD AND INDICATED SUPPORT FOR THE IMO DRAFT CIRCULAR. WENSLEY VOLUNTEERED THAT AUSTRALIA WOULD BE WILLING TO HOST A REGIONAL MEETING BUT SUGGESTED THAT JAKARTA MIGHT BE THE MOST APPROPRIATE VENUE.
5. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME BUREAU (IMB) ARE INVOLVED IN A SEMINAR ON PIRACY IN KUALA LUMPUR ON 28/29 JULY. MORE GENERALLY THE IMB ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY IN ATTRACTING FUNDS AND IT IS BY NOW MEANS CERTAIN THAT THEY WILL BE OPENING AN OFFICE IN KUALA LUMPUR ON 1 SEPTEMBER AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED.
6.
AS SEEN FROM HERE THERE WOULD BE ADVANTAGE IN A REGIONAL SEMINAR ON PIRACY IN JAKARTA UNDER IMO AUSPICES. GRATEFUL FOR VIEWS (AND THOSE OF OTHER ADDRESSEES) ON THIS AND THE OTHER SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED IN THE DRAFT IMO CIRCULAR.
O'NEIL'S MEETING WITH LORD CAITHNESS WILL NOT NOW TAKE PLACE UNTIL 18 SEPTEMBER.
7.
HURD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
60
AMD SEAD
HKD
DISTRIBUTION
64
SPD
WAD
LEGAL ADVISERS
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