TNAG-1374-FCO40-1820-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 98

CONFIDENTIAL

13.

if Sir G Howe did not visit Jordan at the end of his January Gulf trip, the sub-Committee favoured a short, 3-day, visit to Jordan (8) and possibly Syria in the second half of 1986. The Secretary of State had not visited Jordan and the visits would balance the attention that the Prime Minister would be paying to Israel. The Secretary of State would also be able to speak on behalf of the Community if the visits fell during our EC Presidency.

14.

The Committee noted that the Secretary of State would be expected to go to the San Jose III (5a) meeting in Central America in the second half of 1986 in his Presidency capacity. The Committee suggested that he might take the opportunity also to visit Mexico (5b) and possibly other countries in the region. This tour might be combined with the visit to New York for the UNGA, and since it would justify the use of an RAF VC10, the overall programme should not be too fatiguing.

15.

Of the other proposals, the sub-Committee thought that the Secretary of State might visit Denmark (6) if the Prime Minister did not.

16

As to Mozambique (7), the sub-Committee decided against a visit by the Secretary of State during the first half of the

year on the assumption that the Prime Minister would be making

an African tour then. It was much hoped that Mozambique would

be included in that tour (see para 3 above), but if not the

fact that the Prime Minister would be in the region then would detract from the value of a visit by the Secretary of State.

There was not likely to be time for the Secretary of State to

go to Mozambique later on in the year because of his Presidency

commitments. Should the Prime Minister not go to Africa

next year, the possibility of an early visit by the Secretary

of State to Mozambique should be reconsidered.

17.

The sub-Committee felt that Mr Renton might go to the Mahgreb (1); that a visit to Italy (4) would be more appropriate for Lady Young; and that a visit to the Caribbean (9) would better give Mr Renton an opportunity to take up outstanding speech

CONFIDENTIAL

invitations.

/Lady Young