TNAG-1035-FCO40-1285-Visit-by-John-Nott--Secretary-of-State-for-Defence--to-Hong--1981 — Page 40

Don?

*

CONFIDENTIAL

AKK АКК 026

026/21

مل

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

10 July 1981

$11.7

Pas 8/0

小

Thank you for your letter of 1 July about your Secretary of State's proposed visit to a number of countries in the Middle and Far East.

We are

Lord Carrington has no objection to Mr Nott undertaking the visits on the dates suggested subject to confirmation from our posts that a satisfactory programme can be arranged within the dates you propose for the tour. now therefore approaching posts for their views. they have approached host governments, we cannot be sure that the dates for some of the stops will not need some refinement.

Until

for

In the case of Cyprus, clearly there can be no objection to a visit to the Western Sovereign Base Area, or to going from there to the Eastern Sovereign Base Area by helicopter. But a visit to the British contingent with UNFICYP would, protocol reasons, necessitate calls on the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders. Mr Nott's visit is likely to come at a particularly delicate stage in the intercommunal talks. This need not necessarily rule out a visit to the British contingent, if Mr Nott is keen; but Lord Carrington would wish to be consulted about such a trip again nearer the time.

I am sending a copy of this letter to Michael Alexander at No. 10.

Yens

&

(B JP Fall)

Private Secretary

BM Norbury Esq Ministry of Defence Main Building