TNAG-2950-FCO40-4227-Hong-Kong-visa-free-travel-for-British-Nationals-(Overseas)--1993 — Page 55

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INFO ROUTINE PORT LOUIS, MEXICO CITY

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YRTELNO 226: VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR BRITISH NATIONAL COVERSEAS) PASSPORT HOLDERS VISITING AUSTRIA

SUMMARY

1. AT HIS REQUEST, WE MET THE AUSTRIAN CONSUL-GENERAL. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD CONSULTED HIS GOVERNMENT ON OUR REQUEST FOR VISA-FREE ENTRY FOR BN (0)S BUT HAD DRAWN A BLANK. HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT THERE WAS SOME HOPE OF A SUCCESSFUL APPROACH IF IT WAS STRONGLY BACKED BY YOU AND US.

DETAIL

2. DR QUERNER WAS CLEARLY WORRIED ABOUT THE BAD IMAGE THE AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN GETTING HERE ON THIS ISSUE. MAKING IT CLEAR THAT HE WAS REFERRING PRIMARILY TO LEGCO AND THE MEDIA, HE SAID THAT AUSTRIA WAS BEING BLAMED UNFAIRLY FOR THE FAILURE TO GRANT VISA-FREE STATUS TO BN (0)S. HE SAID THAT THIS WAS A RESULT OF THE UK/AUSTRIA BILATERAL AGREEMENT. HE THOUGHT THAT IT DESERVED TO BE MENTIONED AS THE REASON FOR THIS PROBLEM. HE POINTED OUT THAT SINCE AUSTRIA DID NOT REQUIRE BDTCS TO HAVE VISAS THEY WERE MORE LIBERAL TO HONG KONG THAN SOME OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: YET THEY WERE BEING ACCUSED IN LEGCO OF DISCRIMINATING AGAINST HONG KONG. HE SAID THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE, EITHER TO AMEND THE BILATERAL AGREEMENT TO INCLUDE REFERENCE TO BN (0)S, OR PROPOSE SOME SEPARATE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WOULD FACILITATE BN(O)S WITHOUT REOPENING THE WHOLE BILATERAL AGREEMENT.

3. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE SOLUTION COULD BE AN EXCHANGE OF LETTERS, WHICH SIMPLY SAID THAT, WHERE IT SAYS BDTCS IN THE AGREEMENT, THIS ALSO APPLIES TO BN (0)S.

4. HE SAID (BUT INDICATED THAT HE DID NOT WISH TO BE QUOTED ON THIS) THERE WAS AN IMPRESSION IN VIENNA THAT HMG WAS NOT TOO INTERESTED IN GAINING VISA-FREE ENTRY FOR BN (0)S. WE REFUTED THIS (BUT WE HAVE SINCE HAD THE CLAIM REPEATED IN A LETTER FROM

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5/3

10 JUN 1993

o/r.