TNAG-2966-FCO40-4245-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Consular-representation-of-European-Coun-1993 — Page 59

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG

TO TELELETTER UKREP BRUSSELS

TELELETTER NFR

OF 040531Z OCTOBER 93

INFO TELELETTER FCO

RESTRICTED

(103

122212 MDTTAN 2131

406/5

REC

- 7 OCT 1993

Ms B-J

FROM

FOR

COPIED TO:

:

:

1.

JOHN ASHTON, DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER

S J L WRIGHT ESQ, UKREP BRUSSELS

PF RICKETTS ESQ, HKD, FCO

MS A CONROY, ECD(E), FCO

EC/Hong Kong: Commission Office

Thank you for your teleletter of 24 September.

It is useful to know that Commissioner van den Broek is exerting pressure within the Commission for rapid solutions on privileges and immunities. We agree that we should try to exploit the time pressures associated with the opening of the Office.

We

2. We therefore need to encourage the Commission to believe that it would be in their interest to settle the remaining differences before the Office opens. But deadlines can be double-edged. will of course be doing our best ourselves to reach agreement before the Office opens. But we do not want to give the impression that, under this kind of time pressure, we would be willing to make concessions which we would otherwise withhold.

we

3. In case you have not received it from our Brussels Office, are faxing to you a copy of the Commissions's reply to Mrs Ip's Letter of 31 August. Some differences remain between us. But it has now been agreed that a Commission team will visit Hong Kong from 6-7 October in a further attempt to secure agreement before the arrival of Commissioner van den Broek on 14 October. certainly use the Commission visit to press for the exchange of Letters to take place before the Office opens. Our impression is that we now have a reasonable prospect of achieving this.

SIGNED.

· ·

JOHN ASHTON

YYYY