CONFIDENTIAL
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067116
MDHIAN 5406
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SECRETARY OF STATE'S AUDIENCE WITH SULTAN ON 9 APRIL SUMMARY
1.
FRIENDLY MEETING. SULTAN EMPHASISES VALUE OF BILATERAL RELA- TIONSHIP. DISCUSSION OF EAST-WEST RELATIONS. SULTAN SHOWS INTEREST IN HOUSE OF FRASER INVESTIGATION AND ASKS WHAT IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN TO OWNERSHIP OF HOUSE OF FRASER. GIVES NOTHING AWAY ABOUT BRUNEIAN CONNECTION. ON DEFENCE RELATIONSHIP, SULTAN CONFIRMS REQUEST FOR MORE HELP FOR BRUNEIAN ARMED FORCES.
DETAIL
2. IN A FORMAL BUT FRIENDLY DISCUSSION, MAIN ASPECTS OF BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP WERE COVERED. THE SULTAN REFERRED TO THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE JOINT DEFENCE EXERCISE AND SAID THESE WERE PROCEEDING SMOOTHLY. ON POSSIBLE FURTHER GURKHA UNITS, HE REPEATED THAT WE SHOULD DISCUSS THE QUESTION CAREFULLY TOGETHER AND TAKE A POSITION CONSISTENT WITH OUR MUTUAL INTERESTS. THE SECRETARY OF STATE EX- PLAINED THAT WE WERE CURRENTLY CONSIDERING THE SULTAN'S OFFER IN THE LIGHT OF WIDER QUESTIONS ON THE FUTURE OF THE GURKHAS. HE ADDED THAT WE WERE ALWAYS READY TO WORK WITH THE BRUNEIANS. ON THE ACQUISITION OF FURTHER DEFENCE EQUIPMENT. THE SULTAN SAID THAT BRUNEI WOULD BE ASKING FOR MORE HELP FOR HER ARMED FORCES, PART- ICULARLY IN THE NAVAL FIELD. IN A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF BRUNEI'S POSSIBLE ACCESSION TO THE FPDA, THE SECRETARY OF STATE REPEATED THE POSITION TAKEN BY MR YOUNGER. HE HAD BEEN STRUCK BY THE STRENGTH OF MALAYSIAN AND SINGAPOREAN SUPPORT FOR THE FPDA.
3. ON EDUCATION, THE SULTAN CONFIRMED BRUNEI'S ENTHUSIASM FOR SENDING STUDENTS TO BRITAIN AND MENTIONED THE PRIME MINISTER'S ASSURANCE TO HIM IN JANUARY OF BRITAIN'S READINESS TO CONTINUE TO HELP IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION. THE SECRETARY OF STATE CONFIRMED OUR WILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO BRUNEI'S UNIVERSITY.
4. IN A DISCUSSION OF EAST-WEST RELATIONS, THE SECRETARY OF STATE REFERRED TO THE ENCOURAGING NEWS ABOUT AFGHANISTAN. HE HOPED THAT THIS WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY FAVOURABLE DECISIONS ON VIETNAMESE
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