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RESTRICTED
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FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1363
OF 230502Z AUGUST 1993
Mr Gae
Please Lony to
811
172267
MDLIAN 2568
Miss Everett in News Apt.
سرا
enter 345/3
(file with i W)
TOP COPY 23/8 KJ.
Q DIST?
AND TO ROUTINE ATHENS, BRUSSELS, THE HAGUE, LUXEMBOURG, MADRID AND TO ROUTINE ROME, UKREP BRUSSELS
INFO ROUTINE BONN, LISBON, PARIS
YOUR TELNO 196 TO ATHENS : INCLUSION OF HONG KONG ON COMMON VISA LIST OF SCHENGEN CONVENTION COUNTRIES.
SUMMARY
SPAIN APPEARS TO BE ISOLATED AND, THEREFORE, WE SHOULD PRESS STRONGLY FOR A CHANGE OF MIND. LEGCO CONCERNED ABOUT HONG KONG
BEING SINGLED OUT FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT.
DETAIL
2. WE HAVE NOTED THE ACTION AND REPORTS FOLLOWING YOUR TUR (TELNOS 196 FROM FCO, 379 FROM MADRID, 398 FROM BRUSSELS, 348 FROM ROME, 150 FROM LUXEMBOURG AND 248 FROM THE HAGUE REFER).
3. NEITHER ITALY NOR THE BENELUX COUNTRIES APPEAR TO HAVE ANY
INTENTION OF IMPOSING A NEW VISA REGIME ON HONG KONG AT LEAST IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE. THIS IS GOOD NEWS. BUT IT PUTS THE SPANISH ACTION IN A QUESTIONABLE LIGHT. THEIR NOTE VERBALE CLAIMS THAT THEIR ACTION IS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF A SCHENGEN AGREEMENT, YET THE OTHER SCHENGEN COUNTRIES DENY THAT ANY SUCH AGREEMENT EXISTS.
4. IN THIS CASE, WE SUGGEST THAT WE REVERT TO THE SPANISH IN LONDON AND MADRID WITH THE INFORMATION FROM ROME AND THE HAGUE (AND ATHENS IF IT ANSWERS SIMILARLY) TO ASK THEM TO RECONSIDER. THEY HAVE CLAIMED THAT THEY ARE NOT ACTING FOR THEIR OWN REASONS, BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW A COMMON SCHENGEN LINE. BUT SINCE THIS IS NOT THE CASE, IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE WHY THEY SHOULD PERSIST. IF YOU AGREE, WE WOULD PROPOSE TO DO THE SAME HERE WITH THE SPANISH CONSUL-GENERAL.
5. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL NATIONALITY SUB-COMMITTEE HAS TAKEN THIS ISSUE UP STRONGLY, AS EXPECTED.
6. THE SUB-COMMITTEE ALSO PRESSED US HARD ABOUT THE OTHER
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