CONFIDENTIAL
5. There is a good case for visiting South Africa in the summer, if an interim government is in place. Similarly,
if there is a new civilian government in Nigeria, this might be combined in the same trip.
6. The Prime Minister has expressed interest in visits to Australia and New Zealand. The Secretary of State has commented that either he or the Prime Minister should visit Australia (and has no current plans to do so himself - your minute of 18 November to Mr Murray, LAD). The Australian elections are in May, and the autumn would be a good time to visit. This could be done just before or after the Party Conference.
7. The Prime Minister has accepted an invitation to Israel and is, we understand, keen to take this up. He would only need 2-3 days. We believe that he should give serious consideration to a (separate) visit to Saudi Arabia. He has not visited the country since March 1991, and we have very important defence sales and other commercial interests there with obvious employment implications. It is high time we reinforced these by a visit.
Add-ons
8.
We identified a number of visits which could be short add-ons to the main trips. The Prime Minister may wish to consider a stop-overs in Moscow en route to Tokyo, and in Hong Kong on the way back from Tokyo or combined with the Australia trip.
9. I attach a chart setting out these bids. If the Secretary of State is content with these proposals I shall submit a draft Private Secretary letter.
LV Appleyard
L V Appleyard
CONFIDENTIAL