CAB128-94_A1b — Page 129

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The Cabinet

Took note.

ONFIDEN

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Arms Control

THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (MR WALDEGRAVE) said that the meetings between the United States Secretary of State, Mr James Baker, and the

viet Foreign Minister, Mr Eduard Shevardnadze, in

hg and President Bush's address to the United Nations Gerre Assembly, had enabled the West once again to seize the initiative on arms control. The American-Soviet bilateral agreement on chemical weapons reached at Wyoming had been favourable to the Western position and to British interests. It was essential nevertheless not to diminish efforts to each a comprehensive multilateral agreement. On strategis, as control, Mr Shevardnadze had presented the latest Soviet proposals in a clever but misleading way to suggest that the Russians were prepared to delink the Strategic Arms Rechions Talks (START) and the Defence and Space Talks. The beaty was different: the Russians were claiming the right withdraw from a START agreement if they interpreted action taken under the Strategic Defence Initiative as a breach of the Anti- Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty. Soviet agreement demolish the Krasnoyarsk radar was welcome. The Russia had sought pro forma assurances about the United States early warning radars at Fylingdales and Greenland. There had been some progress on conventional arms control but the Russians were still trying to drive wedges within the orth Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on Short Rap Maclear Forces (SNF), aircraft and manpower limits. Mvardnadze had signalled that the Russians were long for relatively early signature of an agreement on Conventional arms control.

C

ong Kong

revious eference:

(89) 24.3

ait

visit

THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE said that the Minister of State, Mr Francis Maude, Hong Kong from 17 to 19 September. The timing of had been favourable. There had been a much better atmosphere than in July and press reaction had been positive. Mr Maude had benefitted from the growing feelin of shame in Hong Kong at the discourteous treatment given to the Lord President during his visit. It was clear that the problem of the Vietnamese boat people remained the priority for the people of Hong Kong. The first meeting of the Liaison Group with the People's Republic of China was

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CONFIDENTIAL

DENTIAL

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