CONFIDENTIAL
FM SINGAPORE
TO DESKBY 31063OZ FCO
TELNO 370
OF 30010OZ JULY 90
CONFIDENTIAL
Hu3 026/34 Нив
A.
BY
2 AUG 1990
011025
MDHIAN 0566
FOR PS/LORD CAITHNESS
YOUR TELNO 1432: LORD CAITHNESS'S TRAVEL
1.
O
I AM GRATEFUL TO LORD CAITHNESS FOR THINKING OF A POSSIBLE
VISIT TO SINGAPORE SO EARLY IN HIS TENURE BUT VERY MUCH HOPE THAT
HE CAN MANAGE TO SPEND MORE THAN 24 HOURS OR SO NOT ONLY BECAUSE THIS
WOULD GIVE HIM MORE TIME TO SEE SOMETHING OF WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE BUT BECAUSE THE SINGAPOREANS WOULD NOT I FEAR, REACT WELL TO WHAT ON PRESENT PLANS WOULD NOT BE MUCH MORE THAN AN EXTENDED STOP-OVER. AS YOU KNOW, THEY ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO ANY SUGGESTION
THAT HIGH-LEVEL VISITORS SEE THEIR TIME HERE AS LITTLE MORE THAN
A BREAK IN A TOUR OF THE REGION. THEY FEEL (IT SEEMS TO ME WITH GOOD REASON) THAT THEY DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS AND IT WOULD, I SUBMIT, NOT HELP OUR INTERESTS TO STRENGTHEN SUCH AN IMPRESSION AT THE PRESENT MOMENT.
2. A FURTHER CONSIDERATION IS THAT, AS YOU KNOW, GOH CHOK TONG IS DUE TO TAKE OVER AS PRIME MINISTER IN NOVEMBER. THERE COULD WELL BE A RESHUFFLE OF MINISTERIAL PORTFOLIOS AT THE TIME, INCLUDING
THOSE WITHIN THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. IN THE LIGHT OF THIS POSSIBILITY, LORD CAITHNESS MIGHT DO BETTER TO POSTPONE HIS FIRST VISIT TO SINGAPORE UNTIL AFTER GOH'S ASSUMPTION OF POWER WHEN HE COULD BE REASONABLY SURE THAT THOSE MINISTER HE MEETS ARE LIKELY
TO BE IN OFFICE FOR SOME TIME.
TERSH
PIKE
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
51
DISTRIBUTION
51
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
MA BURNS
PROTOCOL NEWS DEPT
N N N N
PAGE
PS
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
MR MCLAREN
1
CONFIDENTIAL