Mr. Gordon
Mr. Fineland
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Mr. Godden
.P.D.
Xilong Kong Department
Visit of UK Forliamentarians to Vietnam
You will be aware that we are in the process of helping to arrange a visit to Vietnam by a group of British Parliamentarians. You may however like to be reminded of the background to the visit, and to know how far arrangements have gone, particularly in light of the fact that we will now be involved in briefing this party on Tuesday, 29 July.
2. The visit to Vietnam is essentially an appendage to a visit to the Far Saat which hao been arranged by the Ministry of Defence. This is an annual visit the purpose of which is to tour Service establishments, and to neot U.K. Service personnel, in Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The members of the party are chosen by the hips from both Parties and both Houses of Parliament. The Vietnamese Government are aware of these annual MOD tours and on two previous occasions have arranged for the Parliamentarians to include a visit to Vietnam. This cnables them to finance a visit by a significant number of MPs, without having to bear the coat of transporting the group to and from the U.. Last year nine of the ton Parliamentarians who undertook the MOD tour also went to Vietnam for about a wook. This was a great success, and it included meetings with President Thieu, Prime Minister Huong, the President of the Sonate, the United States tabapoador, Mr. Bunker, and Gonoral Abrams, and also included a vinit to the northem part of South Vietnam. Although the Vietnam part of the tour was arranged and paid for by the South Vietnamese Government, re gave them considerable help and encouragement both at this ond and from the Embassy in Saigon. Our objective was not only to onsure that arrangements went smoothly, but also to help achieve a wider understanding in Parliament of G'a general support for South Vietnamese and U.3. policies.
3. hen the Vietnamese learned that there was to be another MOD Far Fast tour this year their Ambassador annroachod us about the possibilities of repeating the visit to Vietnam.
30 immediately contacted the Ministry of Defence who agreed to such
recenti su
that the visit to Vietnam not only complicatos their administrative arrangements by taking the party out of their hands for a period during the course of the toup, INobut also the
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RTRY No.51
30 JUL 1969
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