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visit to West Africa might be combined with the visit to our
small LSP team in Uganda which Minister (AF) is planning for
April. We do not consider that there are other African countries
for which there is a strong political case for an outward visit
though for narrower sales reasons, Minister (DP) is expected to
visit Algeria and Tunisia during the first half of 1985 and
there may also be need at some stage for a sales visit by US of
S(DP) to Cameroon and Gabon. To cement our promising defence
relations and sales prospects with Algeria, it is also proposed
that a reciprocal visit to the UK should be made later in the
year by the Secretary General to the Algerian Ministry of
Defence.
Middle East
3. The highest priority is attached by FCO, MOD and the Defence
Sales Organisation to an early visit to Oman by the Secretary of
State. Oman is our closest ally in the Gulf, a major purchaser
of British defence equipment and the largest "customer" for
British military training and LSP (who occupy pre-eminent posi-
tions in the command structure of the Omani Armed Forces). Oman
is now the only country in the Middle East of those in which the
UK has a significant defence interest which the Secretary of State
has not visited and, were she again to be omitted in 1985,
there would be serious risk of damage to our close relationship.
Given that Mr Luce has just visited, and visits by CDS and CAS
are planned for February and March respectively, a visit in
early October is suggested.
Since we have large numbers of LSP
in all three Services in Oman, a visit of about 4 days would be
worthwhile, enabling the Secretary of State to visit a number
of units and also see some thing of the country.
4.
for
The Secretary of State has a standing invitation to visit Israel which,/
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