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I TOOK VERY STRICT PRECAUTIONS TO EM PURE THAT TH£ MESSAGE WAS DELIVERED TO PRESIDENT AM IN ON A CONFIDENTIAL BASIS. DESPITE A LOT OF PRESSURE IN PARLIAMENT AND THROUGH THE PRESS TO STATE OUR ATTITUDE TO PRESIDENT AM IN * S ATTENDANCE CLEARLY A-f*D PUDL ICLY, I AND THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY .HAVE RESISTED DO IMG SO, AND HAVE AVOIDED USING ANY LANGUAGE THAT COULD BE SEEN TO BE INSULTING TO PRESIDENT AM I N . IT WAS PRESIDENT AKIN ALONE *V,HO DECIDED TO PUBLISH HIS VERSION OF WHAT I HAD SAID AND HIS REPLY. • I AN SURE YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE BEEN MOTIVATED THROUGHOUT BY MY WISH TO AVOID AN ATMOSPHERE AROUND THE CONFERENCE m- WHICH WOULD DESTROY THE PROSPECT OF A CONSTRUCTIVE AND USEFUL MEETING. THAT HAS BEEN MY CONCERN AND I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO AVOID EMBARRASSING PRESIDENT AMJN. YOU WILL RECALL NO DOUBT THAT HE DID NOT ATTEND THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERN- MENT MEETING EITHER AT JAMAICA OR CANADA. I HOPE YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT OUR ACTIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO PROTECT THE COMMONWEALTH, M D I MOST SINCERELY HOPE THEREFORE THAT NIGERIA WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE COMMONWEALTH MEETING. YOUR GOVERNMENT HAVE A MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO MAKE TO ALL OUR DISCUSSJOMS. . •—> f AM SORRY THAT YOU YOURSELF MAY NOT BE ABLE TO LEAD YOUR DELEGATION, BUT I HOPE I MAY HAVE THE PLEASURE OF MEETING BRIGADIER YAR'ADUA AND BRIGADIER GARBA. I PARTICULARLY LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING WITH BRIGADIER YAR'ADUA BILATERAL MATTERS OF JOINT INTEREST WHICH HE HAD DISCUSSED WITH''OUR HIGH COMMISSIONER. MAY I FINALLY REFER TO THE INDEFENSIBLE EVENTS OF THE LAST TWO DAYS IN MOZAMBIQUE. DR. OWEN WAS SORRY NOT TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE A WORD WITH BRIGADIER GARBA BEFORE THE LATTER LEFT PARIS. BUT HE HAS BEEN KEEPING HIM INFORMED OF THE ACTION WHICH WE TOOK OVER THE RHODESIAN VIOLATION OF MOZAMBIQUE'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY. YOU WILL NOW HAVE SEEN THAT RHODES JAN-TROOPS HAVE WITHDRAWN FROM MAPAI. WE HOPE THERE WILL BE NO RECURRENCE OF THIS SERIOUS THREAT TO OUR INITIATIVE FOR PEACE IN THE AREA. WITH WARM REGARDS, . JIM CALLAGHAM.' copig.5 TO P51 H/l. ROWL.A rJDS PS|<^-Tiiurs'T . Vj ft Us Ps PS %. • * ?-•*•**. •• i-* n