TNAG-0340-FCO40-376-Aid-to-Hong-Kong-from-UK-1972 — Page 138

CONFIDENTIAL

from them, we can draw certain pointers for future use.

The examples fall naturally into certain categories.

(a) Defence facilities;

(i) Mauritius and The Maldives; Our aid programme

the

in Mauritius assists us to retain our naval communications,

naval fueling facilities and RAF staging facilities on the

island, and to deny these facilities to/communist powers.

The programme in The Maldives helps us retain the use of

the staging post at Gan.

(ii) Iran and Turkey; Our aid programmes in Iran and

Turkey have played an important part in maintaining good

relations with these countries, which are of considerable

strategic importance to us, not least because of the

over-flying rights we enjoy (4000 over-flights over

Iran in 1971).

(iii) Malta; The agreement earlier this year to provide

£3.5m per annum from aid funds to Malta was an essential

part of the deal concluded with Mr Mintoff to preserve

Malta as a NATO base and to deny its use to hostile powers.

(iv) Malaysia and Singapore; In 1968 we announced

programmes of Special Aid to Singapore (£50m) and

Malaysia (£25m) to facilitate our military withdrawal

by helping to offset its economic consequences. Rather

more than half of this money has come from aid funds.

3.

CONFIDENTIAL

/(b)