TNAG-2966-FCO40-4245-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Consular-representation-of-European-Coun-1993 — Page 79

09-SEP-1993

10:04

UKREP EC BRUSSELS

2

1

32 2 287 8510

P.04

First Day, 27 July 1993, 10am

MI

Stathopoulos

welcomed

the

Hong

Brussels and introduced members of his team.

was greatly encouraged by the

President Delors,

words

Kong

Delegation

to

He said the Commission

Governor's letter of 19 July to

that the

the Hong Kong especially by authorities believed they had "found a way through". He hoped both sides would take a flexible and pragmatic approach in discussing the issue in order to find a satisfactory solution.

points:

He then made two

(a) the status of the EC Office in Hong Kong should reflect the

supranational status of the EC; and

(b)

the

2.

Kong

was

was

a

looking for EC

long-term

transitional arrangements were necessary.

solution

although

After introducing members of her

of her team, Mrs Ip said Hong

discussion

glad

on

to

the issue

have the

opportunity

EC

have

face-to-face

to

to

the with the

and was grateful

talks at such

such short notice. She Commission for agreeing to hold talks said that Hong Kong, like the EC, was also keen to see the early establishment of the EC Office in Hong Kong. It was not possible to make as much progress as desirable in the past not because of the status of the EC but because of Hong Kong's status of not being a sovereign state and hence not in a position to grant diplomatic privileges and immunities (Ps & Is) comparable to those under the Vienna Convention

Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Hong Kong was glad to note from President Delors' letter to the Governor dated 2 July that out administrative the EC was agreeable to the proposal to work

was

However, she wanted arrangements as point out that some of the Ps & Is being sought by the EC might present Hong Kong with real legal difficulties and these would be discussed later. Furthermore, whatever arrangements put in place now could only continue after 1 July 1997 with the agreement of the

Chinese Government. This agreement would be

to more difficult

obtain if the Chinese Government believed that the Ps & Is being granted now would be incompatible with the non-sovereign status of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in future.

transitional solution.

to

/3.