TNAG-0852-FCO40-1062-Visits-of-Royal-Navy-ships-to-Hong-Kong-and-China-1979 — Page 50

CONFIDENT IAL

5. In the normal way I would havesaid that, after The Queen's Gulf

•

tour earlier this year, this area had had its fair share of visits for

the time being. But given the current requirement to show interest in

these countries and possibly even to step up existing arrangements

military activity in the area,we should perhaps consider fitting in

visits to Oman, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain. In view of recent

indications that the Iranian Navy may have been less affected by the

revolution than the other two Services and is interested in keeping up

contacts with this country it might do no harm to ask the Iranians if

they would welcome a visit to Bandar Abbas. But the sitatuion in Iran

is unpredictable and we cannot be certain now that such a visit would

be a good idea in November. The same is true of Pakistan. Perhaps you

could let me know whether some of the proposals in paragraph 4 could

be fitted in as well as a programme in the Gulf (possibly by splitting

the Group).

6.

I note from the programme you circulated last year that all ships

are due to call at Colombo. If this turns out to be essential for

operational reasons, so be it, but from the political point of view we

see no great advantage in all ships descending on Colombo.

7.

We have not suggested any visits to East Africa on the grounds EAD's

that our areas of priority there (Kenya and the Seychelles) did well

recently andare due to be covered again in 1980.

CONFIDENTIAL