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6. The Prime Minister agreed that the Palace might be approached
about a State Visit in autumn 1978 (President Ceausescu is coming
in June). He told Dr Soares in April that he hoped the
President would come in 1977 (ie as the guest of the British Government)
but when President Eanes came for the NATO meeting in May the
Prime Minister said he would try to facilitate a State Visit in
1978.
President Eanes said that he fully understood the difficulties
about a State Visit in 1977. and provided there were no unforeseen
circumstances, he would like to take up the offer of a State Visit
in 1978. The Royal Visits Committee is meeting on 27 June to discuss
this and other visits.
Dispossessed British Farmers
7. Of the British farmers in Portugal dispossessed of their property
during the
at the height of revolutionary activity, only one (Mr Phillimore)
has had his property returned.
i
Compensation has not been paid to the
others although some progress has been made in discussing their claims
and setting up the machinery for agreeing terms in individual
cases. Some British farmers are unhappy about the Portuguese
proposal that the arbitration committees in each case should be
comprised only of Portuguese nationals. The Embassy have raised
this matter with the Portuguese Government. The farmers will expect
The Subjaur
racke
Mr Judd at least to refor to their eases during his talks with the
Portuguese.
did so
Mr Tomlinson raised the subject briefly with Dr Ferreira
in London in February; when the latter promised an early and rapid
solution. Mr Judd is advised to mention the matter to Dr Ferreira.
Bilateral Social Security Agreement
8.
The Portuguese wish to conclude a comprehensive agreement
Those
similar to the ones they have with other Western European countries
and to that between the UK and Spain. There are some 30,000 Portuguese
in the UK and 5,000 British passport holders in Portugal. About
500 people in Portugal receive British pensions and it is payment
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