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from them, we can draw certain pointers for future use.
The examples fall naturally into certain categories.
(a) Defence facilities;
(i) Mauritius and The Maldives; Our aid programme
the
in Mauritius assists us to retain our naval communications,
naval fueling facilities and RAF staging facilities on the
island, and to deny these facilities to/communist powers.
The programme in The Maldives helps us retain the use of
the staging post at Gan.
(ii) Iran and Turkey; Our aid programmes in Iran and
Turkey have played an important part in maintaining good
relations with these countries, which are of considerable
strategic importance to us, not least because of the
over-flying rights we enjoy (4000 over-flights over
Iran in 1971).
(iii) Malta; The agreement earlier this year to provide
£3.5m per annum from aid funds to Malta was an essential
part of the deal concluded with Mr Mintoff to preserve
Malta as a NATO base and to deny its use to hostile powers.
(iv) Malaysia and Singapore; In 1968 we announced
programmes of Special Aid to Singapore (£50m) and
Malaysia (£25m) to facilitate our military withdrawal
by helping to offset its economic consequences. Rather
more than half of this money has come from aid funds.
3.
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/(b)