SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27,
UK TO HONOUR PLEDGES TO HK
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RENTON
THE SIGNATURE OF THE HONG KONG AGREEMENT DOES NOT MEAN ANY SLACKENING IN HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION NOR ANY LOOSENING IN ITS WILL TO HONOUR ITS OBLIGATIONS. THE MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HONG KONG, MR TIMOTHY RENTON, SAID ON ARRIVAL HERE TODAY (SUNDAY).
HE TOLD REPORTERS AT THE AIRPORT: THAT +HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TAKES VERY SERIOUSLY AND INTENDS TO HONQUR FULLY ITS COMMITMENTS TO HONG KONG BETWEEN NOW AND 1997+.
MR RENTON SAID THE IMPORTANCE WHICH HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT ATTACHED TO HONG KONG COULD BE MEASURED BY THE FACT THAT APART FROM A FEW HOURS IN BRUSSELS ATTENDING A NATO MEETING, THIS WAS HIS FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT OVERSEAS SINCE HE TOOK OVER FROM MR RICHARD LUCE LAST MONTH.
+ I HOPE VERY MUCH TO CONTINUE AND DEVELOP THE SAME
CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH HONG KONG THAT RICHARD LUCE HAD,+ HE SAID.
AR RENTON SAID HE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSIONS HE WOULD BE HAVING WITH THE GOVERNOR AND SENIOR OFFICIALS AND ALSC TO ATTENDING THE OPENING OF THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, TO VISITING AND ATTENDING A DISTRICT BOARD MEETING AND TO VISITING TUEN MUN NEW TOWN.
+AND HOPE VERY MUCH TO MEET AS MANY PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AS POSSIBLE DURING THESE DAYS, HE ADDED.
FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF MR RENTON'S STATEMENT AT THE AIRPORT:
+GOOD AFTERNOON, IT'S A VERY GREAT PLEASURE FOR ME, AS AN
IT'S TEN YEARS INDIVIDUAL, TO RENEW MY ACQUAINTANCE, WITH HONG KONG. SINCE I WAS LAST HERE AND I KNOW THERE'VE BEEN A GREAT MANY DEVELOPMENTS AND CHANGES IN THAT TIME AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOME OF THOSE IN THE DAYS AHEAD.
+IT'S A SYMBOL I THINK, THOSE CHANGES THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FLY HERE OVERNIGHT FROM LONDON IN JUST OVER 12 HOURS, AND THAT CERTAINLY WASN'T POSSIBLE TEN YEARS AGO AND I HOPE THAT THAT SYMBOL ISES THE INCREASING CLOSENESS BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND HONG KONG.
+ BUT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT, THIS IS MY FIRST VISIT, MY FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO HONG KONG AS A MINISTER IN HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT. I LOOK FOR:ARD VERY MUCH TO THE DISCUSSIONS THAT I'LL BE HAVING WITH THE GOVERNOK AND WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS. I LOOK FORWARD TO ATTENDING THE OPENING OF THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, TO VISITING, TO ATTENDING A DISTRICT BOARD MEETING AND TO VISITING TUEN PUR NEW TOWN.
HOPE VERY MUCH TO MEET AS MANY PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AS POSSIBLE DURING THESE DAYS.
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/+OBVIOUSLI,