TNAG-2833-FCO40-4086-Air-service-agreements-between-Hong-Kong-and-other-countries-1993 — Page 72

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 757

OF 140852Z MAY 93

[

CONFIDENTIAL

057737

MDLIAN 3085

HKC 181/3

RECENTE

17 MAY 199:

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

List

TOP COPY Q DIST ?/

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INFO ROUTINE DTP, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING

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YOUR TELNO 163 AND OUR TELNO 283 : NEGOTIATIONS OF NEW ASAS

1.

FIRST ROUND OF ASA NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE GULF STATES, NAMELY

WE BAHRAIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, QATAR AND OMAN COMPLETED. EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT HONG KONG WAS DOING IN RESPECT OF ITS ASAS. WE TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD INFORMED THE CHINESE FOR SOME

NO SPECIFIC TIME OF OUR WISH TO OPEN ASA NEGOTIATIONS WITH THEM. AGREEMENT HAD BEEN GIVEN BY THE CHINESE, BUT FOR PRACTICAL REASONS WE BELIEVE WE SHOULD COMMENCE TALKS. IF WE WERE ABLE TO CONCLUDE AN AGREEMENT WE WOULD ONLY HAND OVER THE INITIALLED TEXT NONE OF THE TO THE CHINESE AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME IN DUE COURSE. FOUR GULF STATES HAD INDICATED ANY PROBLEM IN THIS RESPECT.

2.

ALTHOUGH GULF AIR IS JOINTLY OWNED BY THE FOUR GULF STATES, THEY HAD CHOSEN TO NEGOTIATE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. THEY STRESSED THAT THEY WERE NEGOTIATING AN AGREEMENT AND SEEKING RIGHTS FOR THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT, AND NOT FOR THE AIRLINE.

3. TWO ASAS WERE AGREED AND INITIALLED WITH BAHRAIN AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES RESPECTIVELY. THE ACCOMPANYING CMU WHICH COVERED EXCHANGE OF TRAFFIC RIGHTS DID NOT CONTAIN ANY RIGHTS TO TAIWAN. NEGOTIATIONS WITH QATAR ON THE ASA TEXT HAD BASICALLY BEEN COMPLETED WITH NO PROBLEMS. THEY HAD NEVERTHELESS REQUESTED FOR MORE TRAFFIC RIGHTS THAN WHAT WE WERE PREPARED TO OFFER. THIS DELAYED THE INITIALLING OF THE ASA. A SECOND ROUND OF TALKS WOULD BE REQUIRED.

THEY 4. AS FOR OMAN, WE AGREED MOST OF THE ARTICLES IN THE ASA. HAD HOWEVER INDICATED THAT FURTHER CONSULTATIONS WITHIN THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT MACHINERY AND FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH US WERE REQUIRED ON SEVERAL ARTICLES INCLUDING THE ONES ON AIRLINE DESIGNATION AND CUSTOMS DUTIES. WE THEREFORE AGREED TO HAVE A SECOND ROUND IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

AS AGREED EARLIER WITH UKREP JLG, WE WOULD POSTPONE HANDING OVER OF THE INITIALLED TEXTS TO THE CHINESE.

5.

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