TNAG-1472-FCO40-2003-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 129

special representatives at ministerial level who

could meet regularly. He appointed Tim Renton

as our representative.

3. The Indians have dragged their feet but

Rajiv Gandhi has finally told us that he has

appointed Narayanan, Tim's opposite number in the

MEA, as the Indian representative. Tim is due to

visit New Delhi for the fist meeting of the special

representatives in the first week of October.

We are very much of the view that the meeting

will have more impact and chance of making some

meaningful progress if Tim Renton is the next

British Minister to pay an official visit to

New Delhi.

4.

I hope you can agree to give him a clear field;

as I say you need not postpone your plans for too

long. [You might, of course, leave India out and

go to Pakistan and Bangladesh only. But the Indians

are quite capable of regarding this too as neglect

and as a cause for complaint.

And a purely

pastoral visit to the High Commission, while greatly

appreciated by the immigration staff, you might not

find sufficiently meaty.]