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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1985
+OBVIOUSLY, AS MINISTER IN HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG, I LIKE TO THINK I AM QUITE WELL-INFORMED ABOUT HONG KONG'S PLANS AND CONCERNS, BUT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BEAT FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I AM HERE TODAY.
+AND THE IMPORTANCE THAT WE ATTACH TO HONG KONG IS MEASURED BY THE FACT THAT APART FROM A FEW HOURS IN BRUSSELS ATTENDING A NATO MEETING, THIS IS MY FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT OVERSEAS SINCE | SUCCEEDED RICHARD LUCE AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE AND TOOK OVER HIS RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST MONTH.
+ I HOPE VERY MUCH TO CONTINUE AND DEVELOP THE SAME CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH HONG KONG THAT RICHARD LUCE HAD, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY IN CLOSING THAT HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TAKES VERY SERIOUSLY AND INTENDS TO HONOUR FULLY ITS COMMITMENTS TO HONG KONG BETWEEN NOW AND 1997.
+THE SIGNATURE OF THE HONG KONG AGREEMENT DOES NOT MEAN ANY SLACKENING IN OUR DETERMINATION NOR ANY LOOSENING IN OUR WILL TO HONOUR OUR OBLIGATIONS. AND TO YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE PRESS, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY HOW MUCH I SHOULD LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT OUR PRESS CONFERENCE ON THURSDAY MORNING AND TO
THANK YOU VERY ANSWER ING ANY OF YOUR DETAILED QUESTIONS THEN. MUCH INDEED.+
FCO MINISTER ARRIVES
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THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, MR TIMOTHY RENTON, ARRIVED IN HONG KONG TODAY (SUNDAY) FOR A FIVE- DAY VISIT.
THIS IS MR RENTON'S FIRST VISIT TO HONG KONG SINCE TAKING UP APPOINTMENT IN SEPTEMBER AS MINISTER OF STATE WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HONG KONG. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY
MR ANTHONY GALSWORTHY, HEAD OF THE HONG KONG DEPARTMENT, FCO.
MR RENTON WILL ATTEND THE INAUGURATION OF THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BUILDING AND THE OPENING OF THE 1985/86 SESSION ON OCTOBER 30.
HE WILL ALSO HAVE TALKS WITH THE GOVERNOR, SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS AS WELL AS MEET REPRESENTATIVES OF A WIDE CROSS-SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY.
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