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Private Secretary
MR BLAKER'S TRAVEL PLANS
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2 0 AUG 1979
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In the light of the Secretary of State's views (Mr Lever's minute of 30 July), Mr Blaker now plans a shorter programme as
follows :-
Thursday
13 September
23
1
A
14-16 September
17-19 September
20 September
21-22 September
23 September (Sunday)
24-25 September:
26 September
26-27 September
28 September
28-30 September
Monday
Leave Heathrow at 2200 hours
Travel to the New Hebrides
Constitutional Conference in the New Hebrides (dates agreed with the French)
Travel from the New Hebrides to Singapore (arrive 2145 hours local time)
Visit to Singapore
Travel to Jakarta
Visit to Indonesia
Travel to Manila (arrive 1315 hours local time)
Visit to Philippines
Travel to Hong Kong (arrive 1315 hours local time)
Visit to Hong Kong
1 October
Arrive back in UK.
2.
This schedule is feasible but rushed. If the Secretary of State could agree to Mr Blaker returning to London on 3 October he would be able to spend a little more time in the Philippines (only a day and a half at present) and Hong Kong (weekend only at present).
3.
There are now separate plans to hold a South East Asia Heads of Mission Conference in Bangkok in January 1980 (the last such Conference was held in Kuala Lumpur in January 1976). Mr Blaker would hope to take the chair and combine this with visits to Thailand, Malaysia and Brunei. In the case of Brunei there would be advantage in a visit early in the New Year rather than the first week of October (Mr Malcolm MacDonald plans to visit Brunei in mid- September). In the case of Singapore it is hardly possible to return to the UK via South East Asia without passing through Singapore. Mr Blaker therefore hopes the Secretary of State would agree that he should make a brief visit there.
4.
Mr Blaker asked me to point out that the operationally essential New Hebrides visit is time-consuming. Thursday 13 September
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