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Mr James
CONFIDENTIAL
in Prist
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FROM: J R Young, Head of WED DATE: 4 August 1983
cc: Miss Reid, PCD
Miss Lothian, Private Office Defence Dept
ECD (I)
ECD (E)
EESD
SAMD
MCAD
FID
CAfD
HKD
SED
NAD
FED
SAfD
VISIT BY DR ALOIS MERTES: MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FRG MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 12/13 SEPTEMBER
S
PROBLEM
1.
To confirm the programme for Dr Mertes visit.
RECOMMENDATION
2. I recommend a programme as in the attached draft telegram
to Bonn. ECD(I), ECD(E), Defence Department, MCAD, FID,
SAMD, CAfD, HKD, FED and SED agree.
BACKGROUND AND ARGUMENT
3. Mr Wood advocated an invitation to Dr Mertes in his minute
of 13 July, as did the Embassy in paragraph 5 of Mr Mallaby's
letter of 28 June.
4.
Dr Mertes had accepted Mr Hurd's invitation to visit London
on 25/26 May for talks on the Community, defence and arms
control. Lord Belstead had arranged a familiarisation visit
to Germany (including talks with Dr Mertes) at the beginning
of June. Mr Onslow had planned to visit Bonn to discuss
areas (particularly Latin America and Africa) within his field of responsibility with German Ministers and officials. These
plans fell through, first because of the German elections on
6 March, and then because of ours on 9 June.
5. The draft telegram proposes topics for an agenda, including
those listed in Mr Torry's letter of 29 July.
6. Dr Mertes is the senior CDU politician in the Auswaertiges Amt
and deputises for Herr Genscher across the board.
CONFIDENTIAL
He seems
/to