SECRET
be provided explicitly for this purpose, but the Agreement is of psychological value to the Mauritian Government. Terminating the Agreement, in addition to withdrawing HM Mauritius, could increase the possibility of the Mauritians turning to the Soviet Union and giving them defence facilities. Ramgoolam has already threatened to give them a base if the expansion on Diego Garcia proceeds, and we cannot discount this possibility.
The Defence Secretary may dispute the need to main- tain the Agreement, but Ministers will not want to engage in detailed discussion of the subject at this stage, and it should be left for further examination.
Simonstown
There is no mention of Simonstown in OPD (74) 23 and no need for us to raise the subject. There is no UK expend- iture of any significance in connection with the Simonstown
arrangements. If the subject comes up, the line which the FCO took in officials' work in preparation for OPD (74) 23 could be reiterated, viz that occasions for the use of Simonstown facilities could be reduced,
Seychelles
There is also no mention of the Seychelles in OPD (74) 23 and equally no need to mention them, but we have a residual responsibility for their defence which will continue until
they become independent, perhaps at the end of 1975. (We have had to send a frigate from the Beira patrol there twice in the last three years). The Seychelles Government may ask for a defence agreement after independence. We are unlikely to be able to agree, and this should be said if the subject is raised by other Ministers.
Oman (paragraph 32)
OPD (74) 23 recommends that " we should continue to aim
at ending our military involvement in the Sultan's war against the
rebels as soon as we can do so in a way acceptable to Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United State. The loss of the air field
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