TNAG-1371-FCO40-1817-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 222

CONFIDENTIAL

visit to West Africa might be combined with the visit to our

small LSP team in Uganda which Minister (AF) is planning for

April. We do not consider that there are other African countries

for which there is a strong political case for an outward visit

though for narrower sales reasons, Minister (DP) is expected to

visit Algeria and Tunisia during the first half of 1985 and

there may also be need at some stage for a sales visit by US of

S(DP) to Cameroon and Gabon. To cement our promising defence

relations and sales prospects with Algeria, it is also proposed

that a reciprocal visit to the UK should be made later in the

year by the Secretary General to the Algerian Ministry of

Defence.

Middle East

3. The highest priority is attached by FCO, MOD and the Defence

Sales Organisation to an early visit to Oman by the Secretary of

State. Oman is our closest ally in the Gulf, a major purchaser

of British defence equipment and the largest "customer" for

British military training and LSP (who occupy pre-eminent posi-

tions in the command structure of the Omani Armed Forces). Oman

is now the only country in the Middle East of those in which the

UK has a significant defence interest which the Secretary of State

has not visited and, were she again to be omitted in 1985,

there would be serious risk of damage to our close relationship.

Given that Mr Luce has just visited, and visits by CDS and CAS

are planned for February and March respectively, a visit in

early October is suggested.

Since we have large numbers of LSP

in all three Services in Oman, a visit of about 4 days would be

worthwhile, enabling the Secretary of State to visit a number

of units and also see some thing of the country.

4.

for

The Secretary of State has a standing invitation to visit Israel which,/

C

2

CONFIDENTIAL