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Orderly repatriation to speed up
The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr Jeremy Hanley is visiting Vietnam from April 8 - 10.
During the visit, he met the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Vice Foreign Minister, and Minister for Planning and Investment. Talks covered a wide range of bilateral and regional issues.
On Vietnamese migrants, agreements was reached to accelerate the orderly repatriation programme in May with an increased number of flights. Both sides also agreed on the importance of clearing outstanding names for return to Vietnam as soon as possible. Priority clearance will be given to new arrivals and trouble-makers.
Following the Privy Council judgement, Mr Hanley asked his Vietnamese interlocutors to consider what solution might be found to the problem of non- nationals. They undertook to study the problem again.
Speaking after the talks, Mr Hanley said: "I am grateful for the understanding and cooperation the Vietnamese government have displayed on this difficult problem.
"We are working towards the same objective - to have the camps in Hong Kong cleared as soon as possible before July 1997."
This is Mr Hanley's first visit to Vietnam and first visit by an FCO Minister since Mr Douglas Hurd paid the first ever visit by a British Foreign Secretary in September 1994. He was accompanied by the Refugee Co-ordinator, Mr Brian Bresnihan.
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