CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 476
OF 251057Z MARCH 93
INFO IMMEDIATE MOSCOW, PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
112054
MDHIAN 4839
TOP COPY Q DIST?
ра
2613
AEROFLOT
1. WHEN THE DEPUTY HEAD OF THE FAR EAST AND INDOCHINA DEPARTMENT OF THE RUSSIAN MFA, AFANASYEV, WAS HERE LAST WEEK HE ASKED WHETHER WE COULD CONSIDER VISA-FREE ACCESS TO HONG KONG FOR AEROFLOT CREWS AND FLIGHT ATTENDANTS. HE SAID THEY ENJOYED THIS ON A RECIPROCAL BASIS IN LONDON, AND ADDED THAT THE SAME FACILITY WOULD BE EXTENDED TO CATHAY PACIFIC CREWS IF AND WHEN THEY START FLYING TO MOSCOW.
2. WE UNDERSTAND THE RUSSIANS MAY RAISE THIS IN TALKS AT DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER LEVEL WITH YOU TOWARDS THE END OF THIS MONTH.
3. WE ARE CONTENT TO AGREE TO THIS, AND IMPLEMENT IT UNILATERALLY NOW (I.E. BEFORE CATHAY START FLYING). WE WOULD BE HAPPY FOR YOU TO TELL THE RUSSIANS THIS IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS. HOWEVER, WE WILL REQUIRE IN RETURN THAT WHEN AEROFLOT GIVE US THEIR FLIGHT MANIFESTS, THEY INCLUDE THE (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) FULL NAMES AND DATES OF BIRTH OF THE CREW MEMBERS. THIS IS NOT EXCEPTIONAL PRACTICE: A NUMBER OF AIRLINES ALREADY PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION IN THE FLIGHT LISTS THEY GIVE US, ALTHOUGH IT IS TRUE SOME ONLY PROVIDE NAMES AND INITIALS. WE DO NOT/NOT THEREFORE THINK IT SHOULD CAUSE THE RUSSIANS ANY INCONVENIENCE. BUT IT WOULD GIVE US THE COMFORT OF HAVING SOME WAY OF IDENTIFYING WHO IS COMING IN AND OUT.
PATTEN
YYYY
see HID 021/4 Øs
Нико 345/2.
INUC
PAGE
1
CONFIDENTIAL
2 6 MAR 1993
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