TNAG-0439-FCO40-504-Ministerial-Visits-Committee-monthly-returns-from-Hong-Kong--1974 — Page 23

Deputy and Assistant

Under-Secretaries

Wied

54

Spokan Wilford 17/12

JA

PIA

THE PLANNING OF MINISTERIAL VISITS

1.

At the last meeting of the Ministerial Visits Committee,

Mr Acland suggested that it would be advisable for us to

draw up a planned list of the incoming ministerial visits

which it would be in our interests to encourage.

and we

2. At the moment, suggestions for incoming ministerial

visits tend to be made on their individual merits

are not well organised to draw up a plan for a programme,

covering say a year in advance, in which priorities would be

clearly established. For example, I have had before me

proposals that the Indonesian Foreign Minister and the

Malaysian Prime Minister should visit this country next

year. If these proposals, the arguments for which are strong,

are agreed, they will absorb quite a large part of the limited

ministerial time available. From the point of view of the

country, are these the proposals to which priority should

be given? Such questions can only be decided when the wishes

of the departments dealing with other parts of the world are

known.

3.

I should therefore be grateful if the recipients of this

circular would consider by mid-December what ministerial visits

from their respective parts of the world they would wish to

see taking place in 1975. I should like the recommendations to

RESTRICTED

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