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MDLIAN 9418
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FM ROME
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 406
OF 2414OOZ SEPTEMBER 93*
DESA INDEX
TJ
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING, BONN
HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 1397 AND MY TELNO 384: ASA HONG KONG/ITALY
SUMMARY
1. NO DECISION YET FROM THE ITALIANS, BUT THEY ARE CONSIDERING URGENTLY.
DETAIL
2. WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO SEE BAISTROCCHI, HEAD OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT IN THE ITALIAN MFA. HE WAS MOST INTERESTED, AS HIS LAST POST WAS CONSUL GENERAL IN HONG KONG. BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO GIVE US A DEFINITIVE ANSWER, AND SAID HE STILL NEEDS FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITHIN THE MFA. HE ASKED IF ANYTHING RELEVANT EMERGED FROM THE LAST PLENARY SESSION OF THE JLG.
3. SPEAKING PERSONALLY, HE THOUGHT THE ITALIANS WOULD NOT WISH TO RELINQUISH THE RIGHT TO FLY HONG KONG/TAIWAN. ALITALIA HAD ALWAYS REFUSED TO FLY THIS ROUTE, DESPITE HIS PRESSURE WHEN IN HONG KONG. NOW THAT THERE HAD BEEN A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT HERE IN ROME, THERE MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT POLICY (HE IMPLIED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RELUCTANCE EARLIER TO OFFEND PEKING).
4. HE TOLD US THAT EVA AIRWAYS COWNED BY EVERGREEN OF TAIWAN) HAD LODGED AN APPLICATION TO FLY INTO PISA. THE ITALIANS WERE MINDED TO REJECT THIS SINCE TAIWAN WAS NOT ABLE TO OFFER ANY RECIPROCITY. HOWEVER THE TAIWAN POLICY, HE REPEATED, WAS NOT YET FIRM. HE WILL CONTACT US WHEN HE IS ABLE TO GIVE US SOMETHING MORE POSITIVE.
FAIRWEATHER
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