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15 JUI 1993
4 June 1993
Mr Jan Vymětal
Embassy of the Czech Republic 25 Kensington Palace Gardens London W8 4QY
Dear the Vymerad,
PROPOSED VISIT BY THE CZECH FOREIGN MINISTER TO HONG KONG
As requested, I am writing to confirm our conversation about the proposed visit by the Czech Foreign Minister to Hong Kong. As I explained, Hong Kong's status prevents them from receiving "official" visits in the standard bilateral sense. Their rule in practice is never to describe visits as "official", and never to pay local costs. Any erosion of this would set an unwelcome precedent. The Hong Kong Government therefore cannot meet the cost of hotel accommodation for the Foreign Minister and his party, or indeed any other costs such as transport and meals.
But they would be delighted to arrange a programme for the Foreign Minister. Depending on how much time he will have here, this could include:
Calls on the Governor and the Political Adviser (already penciled in for the afternoon of Monday 28 June):
A call on Secretary for Security (to discuss Hong Kong's visa policy):
- A call on Secretary for Trade and Industry (to discuss Czech/Hong Kong trade relations):
- A call on the Director of Protocol (to discuss the appointment of a Czech Consul-General):
And, possibly, a visit to a new town and a helicopter tour of Hong Kong.
For Mrs Zielenice, they would be pleased to arrange a visit to the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology focusing on the Physics Department.
73