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428080137
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Telephone Conversation with Robert Hawke, Prime Minister of Australia
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doc
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document
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1
Source metadata
id
428080137
contentType
document
title
Telephone Conversation with Robert Hawke, Prime Minister of Australia
citationUrl
collections
Records of the National Security Council (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Presidential Telcon Files
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Australia
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428080137
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item
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day
19
logicalDate
1989-07-19
month
7
year
1989
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description
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nara-archive
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1
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20791f17de4164b3
ocrText
CONFIDENTIAL
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
CONFIDENTIAL
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20506
5689
MEMORANDUM OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
SUBJECT:
Telephone Conversation with Robert Hawke, Prime
Minister of Australia (U)
PARTICIPANTS: The President
Robert Hawke, Prime Minister of Australia
Interpreter: None
Notetaker: Karl Jackson
DATE, TIME
July 19, 1989, 5:31-5:35pm EST
AND PLACE:
The Oval Office
The President telephoned Prime Minister Hawke concerning the East
European trip. (U)
The President began by referring to his just completed trip to
Poland and Hungary which he characterized as having gone very
well. He indicated that what he found coincided exactly with the
Prime Minister's earlier assessment. The Polish situation is
complex. However, the young leaders in Hungary were very
attractive and forthcoming. The President expressed his optimism
about overall prospects for success in policies toward Eastern
Europe. (C)
Prime Minister Hawke indicated his agreement and expressed how
pleasantly surprised he was to find communist leaders talking
about the problems of arranging democratic elections. ()
The President agreed that the situation was very open and extra-
ordinary. The President thanked Hawke for an earlier
conversation that was very helpful in preparing the President for
his trip to Eastern Europe. (U)
Prime Minister Hawke opined that together with others we must do
as much as we can to assist these developments. He said that
Australia had been asked for particular tariff arrangements that
would not be appropriate on an objective basis alone but that he
had asked his officials to bend the normal rules a little to
encourage further positive developments. (f)
CONFIDENTIAL
DECLASSIFIED
Declassify on: OADR
PER E.O. 12958,
AS AMENDED
2000-0429-F
CONFIDENTIAL
ze 8/21/09
CONFIDENTIAL
CONF IDENTIAL
-2-
The President said that they should stay in touch on these
matters but that he had real hope for the situation in Hungary.
He characterized the situation in Poland as more complex
economically and politically. He said Jaruzelski was in a far
different position from just a few years ago. The President
opined that we are living in fascinating times and said he just
wanted to keep Prime Minister Hawke informed.
(f)
Prime Minsiter Hawke agreed, affirming that this could be a real
turning point if handled properly.
(U)
The President indicated that we must proceed cautiously, working
together on these matters. He said the Prime Minister should not
hesitate to share his thoughts on this or other matters. (U)
Prime Minister Hawke closed by expressing his sympathies for the
air crash that had just occurred in the United States. (U)
The President thanked the Prime Minister and signed off.
(U)
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL