TNAG-2647-FCO40-3840-Visa-waiver-agreement-between-Hong-Kong-and-Argentina-1992 — Page 57

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FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 73

OF 09103OZ JANUARY 92

INFO IMMEDIATE BUENOS AIRES

ه

RESTRICTED

163654

HKD 345/

TOP COF Q DIST?

MDHIAN 8507

7"

YOUR TELNO 19 AND BUENOS AIRES TELNO 010: VISA WAIVER:

ARGENTINA/HONG KONG.

WE ARE CONTENT WITH THE ARGENTINE PROPOSALS SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING RESERVATIONS:

(A) ARGENTINE PARAGRAPH 3 (OBLIGATION TO OBSERVE LAWS): WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE PHRASE 'INDEPENDENTLY OR DEPENDENTLY', IS THIS ESSENTIAL ?.

(B) ARGENTINE PARAGRAPH 4 (TEMPORARY SUSPENSION): WE PREFER 'PUBLIC POLICY' TO 'PUBLIC ORDER':

(C) ARGENTINE PARAGRAPH 5 (NOTICE OF TERMINATION):

OUR AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES (THAILAND, POLAND, ETC) PROVIDE FOR 90 DAYS NOTICE IN ORDER TO GIVE TRAVELLERS ENOUGH TIME TO CANCEL/REARRANGE TRAVEL PLANS. WE WISH TO STICK TO THIS PRACTICE: AND

(D) ARGENTINE PARAGRAPH 5 (LIMITATION DATE): INCLUDING THE 1997 TERMINATION DATE IN THE TEXT IS POLITICALLY DIFFICULT FOR US. OUR AIM IS TO CONCLUDE OPEN-DATED AGREEMENTS ON THE LINES OF THOSE WITH POLAND, ETC. A ''CLOSED'' ONE WOULD HAVE UNFORTUNATE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE POST -1997 STATUS OF THE BN (0) PASSPORT WHICH WILL BE VALID BEYOND THAT DATE AND IS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE PRESENT AGREEMENT. THIS POINT IS CRITICAL: WE WOULD PREFER NO AGREEMENT TO ONE CONTAINING THE REFERENCE TO 1997. YOU MAY WISH TO POINT OUT THAT THE AGREEMENT ONLY COVERS BRITISH NATIONALS WHO WILL REMAIN BRITISH AFTER 1997 (WHICH DATE IS THEREFORE IRRELEVANT IN THIS CONTEXT).

2. NUMBER OF BRITISH HONG KONG PASSPORT IN CIRCULATION AS AT 1 JANUARY 1992:

(A) HONG KONG BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZEN PASSPORTS

COLD STYLE)

1,434,000

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