TNAG-1297-FCO40-1652-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 120

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference...

68

Miss Waghorn

Protocol Department

SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO THE FAR EAST: FLIGHT LONDON-PEKANU

1.

67)

Please refer to your minute of 12 March, addressed in turn

To save time I have consulted

to HKD, FED and Soviet Department. the other recipients by telephone.

2.

We are all agreed that it would be strongly inadvisable for the Secretary of State to fly to Peking with a refuelling stop in Moscow. There are a variety of political reasons why we should prefer the Secretary of State not to have Moscow as his last port of call before Peking. He would inevitably receive some sort of courtesy call from a Soviet dignatory at the airport.

3.

There therefore seems to be no alternative to your alternative, longer route, via Bahrain and Delhi.

14 March 1984

cc: Mr McGregor, Soviet Department

Mr Thomson, FED

HKK

027/2

14 MAR 1984

в наз

CODE 18-77

HP 4/83

CONFIDENTIAL

Cobten

CO Hum

Hong Kong Department

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HKD (Mr Hoare)