TNAG-2917-FCO40-4192-International-support-from-Australasia-regarding-the-future--1993 — Page 23

CC:

CONFIDENTIAL

GC Warner Esq CMG, Intelligence Co-ordinator, Cabinet

A G Normand Esq, JIC Secretary

Office

TG Paxman Esq, Deputy Chief of Assessments Staff Assistants: FED, HKD, SAD, SEAD, PUSD and ISD (P) (all FCO)

DHMS:

Bangkok

Bandar Seri Begawan

Jakarta

Kuala Lumpur

Manila

Singapore

Tokyo

Seoul

Peking

New Delhi

Rangoon

Phnom Penh

Wellington

Ottawa

J Ashton Esq, DPA, Hong Kong

ANNEX A

AUSTRALIA AND CANADA: SHARING DIPLOMATIC REPORTING

1.

The Canadian High Commission in Canberra and the Australian High Commission in Ottawa have for many years passed to their host DFAT hard copies of reporting telegrams and letters of likely interest. Relative Canadian strength in francophone Africa and the Middle East is balanced by Australian resources committed in the Asia-Pacific.

2. However, in the age of modern IT, the process of manual copying and distribution was seen as less than ideal. As the two foreign services worked ever more closely (eg colocation) it was decided to move to a system of electronic copying of telegraphic reporting. Telegram originators decide if a text should be copied to the other service's DFAT; if so the appropriate routing indicator is added in the telegram preamble and the text is sent by DFAT Canberra's ComCen direct to DFAT Ottawa's Comcen (or vice versa). The telegrams are then distributed within DFATs and OGDs in the same way as their own service's traffic. Efficient, effective and apparently welcome

to all concerned.

The Canadians have just established a similar arrangement with New Zealand.

3.

CONFIDENTIAL