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041432 MDHIAN 2469
FCO TELNO L6 TO BANJUL: US EC DEMARCHES ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA
SUMMARY
1..
BULGARIAN MFA SYMPATHETIC, BUT UNDER CHINESE PRESSURE.
DETAIL
2"
TROIKA AND US AMBASSADOR CALLED ON DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER DOBREV ON 8 MARCH. DOBREV WAS SUPPORTED BY PETROV, HEAD OF UN AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT. PRESIDENCY LED FOR EC, SUPPORTED BY US.
3.
DOBREV EXPLAINED THAT HITHERTO BULGARIAN POLICY HAD BEEN TO ABSTAIN IN ANY POLITICAL RESOLUTION DIRECTED AGAINST ANY THIRD COUNTRY UNLESS BULGARIA ITSELF WAS THE SPONSOR. BUT IN THE NEW CIRCUMSTANCES, FOLLOWING ACHIEVEMENT OF EC ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP, IN MFA'S VIEW ALL APPEARANCES OF DOUBLE STANDARDS WOULD HAVE NOW TO BE DROPPED, AND A SUBMISSION WOULD GO TO PRIME MINISTER BEROV (WHO IS ALSO FOR THE TIME BEING FOREIGN MINISTER) IN THIS SENSE ON HIS RETURN FROM BRUSSELS ON 10 MARCH.
4.
DOBREV TOLD US THAT THE CHINESE WERE LOBBYING HARD, DROPPING SCARCELY VEILED HINTS ABOUT FUTURE ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND PRESIDENT ZHELEV'S FORTHCOMING VISIT TO PEKING, SCHEDULED FOR MAY. CHINA WAS ONE OF BULGARIA'S MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS, AND THE MATTER WAS THEREFORE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE.
5. THE US AMBASSADOR LOBBIED IN SIMILAR TERMS ON THE MANDATE EXTENSION OF THE UNHCR SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE ON IRAN, TO WHICH DOBREV REPLIED IN ALMOST IDENTICAL TERMS.
COMMENT
6.
IF THE MFA WERE TO HAVE THE FINAL SAY, WE WOULD BE HOME AND DRY. ON THE DEBIT SIDE, BEROV IS INEXPERIENCED IN FOREIGN RELATIONS, BUT DOBREV IS REASONABLY CONFIDENT THAT HE CAN CARRY THE DAY. FORTUNATELY THE POLITICAL COOPERATION ARGUMENT WILL
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1993
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