TNAG-1254-FCO40-1587-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 60

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CONFIDENTIAL

DSR 11C

5. For Britain, the visit will have important Kpublic

relations aspects. At present, our standing in the

United States is high and the Prime Minister's personal

popularity is probably greater that that of any other

foreign leader. We can expect considerable public and

media interest in the visit which will provide us with

an opportunity, for example in the Prime Minister's

Churchill Award speech, to reaffirm our position as

America's closest ally and our common stand on the main

issues of the day. The visit will also present us with

an opportunity to pursue specific British interests with

the aim of trying to ensure that understandings reached

at the highest level are transmitted down to the

Washington bureaucracy.

Meeting with the President

6. In order to make the most of the Prime Minister's

tête à tête session with the President, we and the

on which Americans have identified the following key topics where-

the President and the Prime Minister might try to reach

broad political agreement. In putting these points

emphasise forward, the Prime Minister might wish to underscore that

we seg no inconsistency between broad common aims and a

close working relationship on the one had and the defence

of important British interests on the other.

|and

disarm

East/West Relations including defence disarmament issues

CONFIDENTIAL

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