RESTRICTED
166251 MDHIAN 8630
3. BI-LATERAL RELATIONS. THE VIETNAMESE WELCOMED THE EXPRESSION OF INCREASING INTEREST SHOWN IN VIETNAM BY MR WAKEHAM AND NOW LORD CAITHNESS. NIEM REFERRED TO OTHER RECENT VISITS BY AUSTRALIAN AND ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS. VIETNAM WANTED TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONS NOW WITH WESTERN EUROPE, HAVING LOOKED PREVIOUSLY MORE TO THE EAST. THE VIETNAMESE THOUGHT THERE WERE SOME DIFFICULTIES IN CAMBODIA, BUT THAT THE SITUATION WAS UNDER CONTROL. THEY HOPED THAT THE AGREEMENT WOULD STICK AND REAFFIRMED THEIR INTENTION TO RESPECT IT. THEY LOOKED FOR A PEACEFUL, NON- ALIGNED, NEUTRAL NEIGHBOUR. WITH USA, THEY HOPED FOR STEPS TO EASE THE EMBARGO. US BUSINESS CIRCLES WERE EAGER TO
COOPERATE WITH VIETNAM. VIETNAM WAS TRYING ITS BEST ON MIAS. NIEN REMINDED THE MINISTER THAT VIETNAM HAD 300,000 OF ITS OWN PEOPLE MISSING, INCLUDING THE PRIME MINISTER'S WIFE AND TWO SONS. GENERAL VESSEY WAS EXPECTED SOON FOR FURTHER TALKS. JAPAN WAS SENDING A DELEGATION SOON AND HAD ALREADY ANNOUNCED INCREASED CO-OPERATION.
4.
CHINA. WORKING ON IMPROVED RELATIONS. THE RAIL LINK TWO MONTHS OFF COMPLETION. LEADERS HAD AGREED TO SET ASIDE OUTSTANDING DIFFICULTIES, SUCH AS SOME MINOR BORDER DISPUTES, THE RETURN OF SOME 200,000 PEOPLE OF VIETNAMESE ORIGIN AND THE SPRATELY ISLANDS ISSUE.
5.
SOVIET UNION. VIETNAM HAD MANY AGREEMENTS WITH THE FORMER SOVIET UNION, NIEM WOULD VISIT MOSCOW SHORTLY. THEY HOPED TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH UKRAINE, BYELORUSSIA AND UZBEKISTAN BECAUSE OF TRADE AND PAST LINKS.
6.
TRADE. VIETNAM WANTED TO DISCUSS AN IPPA AND DOUBLE TAXATION AGREEMENT. LOOKED FORWARD TO DISCUSSING FRAMEWORK FOR AGREEMENT ON ECONOMIC, TRADE AND SCIENTIFIC CO-OPERATION. VIETNAM VALUED UK HELP OVER ACCESS TO IMF.
7. HUMAN RIGHTS. NIEM SAID THAT HE WOULD LOOK INTO THE CASES PRESENTED BY LORD CAITHNESS.
WILLIAMS
YYYY
2
PAGE RESTRICTED
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.