TNAG-1374-FCO40-1820-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 72

FCO PRESS CONFERENCE: FRIDAY 29 NOVEMBER 1985

MR RENTON'S MIDDLE EAST VISIT

M

Gats

Spokesman announced that Mr Tim Renton MP, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, would be visiting Syria and Israel

from 9-16 December.

Spokesman added that programme details had not yet been finalised but the visit to Syria was part of HMG's regular bilateral political consultations with that country. Mr Renton hoped to have meetings with Minister of State Mr Issam Naib, Foreign Minister Mr Farouq al-Shara and Vice-President Abdul Halim Khaddam. Talks would cover

bilateral and international matters.

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Spokesman went on to explain that the visit to Israel was a further stage in HMG's high-level dialogue with Israel to which HMG attached great importance. Mr Renton planned to call on Israeli Ministers and visit the North of Israel. He also hoped to meet some Palestinians from the Occupied Territories.

In reply to questions Spokesman said he could not give a breakdown of the dates for each visit as arrangements were not yet completely firm. He told a questioner that Mr Renton would probably travel from Syria to Israel via Cyprus.

ANGLO-IRISH AGREEMENT

HXX027/6

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

- 5 DEC 1985

Spokesman made the following announcement:

DESK OFFIC INDEX

ISTRY

PA

setion. Takon

"As provided for in Article 13 of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the British and Irish Governments have exchanged notifications of their acceptance of the agreement.

The notifications were exchanged by the British Ambassador to Dublin, Sir Alan Goodison KCMG CVO and the Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Peter Barry TD, in Dublin today 29 November 1985."

Spokesman told a questioner that this meant that the agreement was now in force. In reply to another question he explained that where an agreement was signed in one country, it was customary for the exchange of letters to take place in the other.