TNAG-2919-FCO40-4194-International-support-for-Hong-Kong-the-Americas--excluding--1993 — Page 6

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SIR JOHN COLES ́S DISCUSSIONS WITH AMBASSADOR PETRELLA: 9 DECEMBER

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Present

Sir John Coles

Mr Faulkner, LAD

Mr Cary, ECD(I)

Mr Manning, Eastern D

Mr Ehrman, NENAD Mr Oakden, ECD(E)

Mr Barnett, EAU

Mr Publicover, CED Mr Harrison, MED Mr Patey, UND

Mr Patterson, LAD

Ambassador Fernando Petrella,

Argentine Secretary for Foreign Relations and Latin American Affairs

Sr Cullen, Argentine Embassy

Sr Ivanissevich, Argentine Embassy

1. Welcoming Ambassador Petrella, Sir John Coles commented that these were the first bilateral talks on international issues at senior official level for many years, possibly the first ever.

He had held similar consultations with the Americans, Japanese, Australians and Indians, but this would be the first exchange with a Latin American country, although we have agreed in principle to have talks with the Mexicans. We would be happy to hold such talks annually if Argentina wished (Ambassador Petrella did not respond to this point).

Main Foreign Policy Concerns

2.

Ambassador Petrella said the main priority for Argentina was to underpin President Menem's domestic agenda. There were also the more traditional issues of global and regional concerns. Argentina supported the consolidation of democracy and human rights and the concept of market-oriented economies. Integration was the name of the game although there was still a debate within Argentina as to who should be Argentina's partners. The answer seemed to be those countries with whom there were economic, technological and heritage links. Non-proliferation was also a concern; Argentina had now joined MTCR, with UK support, and had decided to accede to the NPT (and would encourage Chile and Brazil to do likewise).

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Other

Sir John Coles said that despite the constraint on resources, Britain would retain a global foreign policy; relations with all regions would therefore remain important. The immediate priority was to achieve a GATT agreement. main concerns were to play a full role in the European Union and thus in shaping the future of Europe; the promotion of stability and democracy in Eastern Europe;

and to continue to play a major effort in supporting reform in Russia and in the humanitarian effort in former Yugoslavia. Asia presents a major new challenge and opportunity, with China a particular

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