TNAG-1635-FCO40-2251-Overseas-visits-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-1988 — Page 82

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ARRIVAL OF A LIBYAN MENACE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC REALLY UNDERLINES TWO THINGS DOES IT NOT? IT INDICATES THE EXTENT TO WHICH FOR ALL THE DISTANCES WE ARE ONE WORLD. IT UNDERLINES THE EXTENT TO

I WHICH MALIGN LIBYAN PLANS SPREAD VERY FAR ROUND THAT. WORLD. SHALL BE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT OUR FRIENDS IN THE REGION HAVE TO

SAY ABOUT IT.

INT: WILL YOU BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE ANY ASSESSMENT FROM THIS END? OR YOU WILL BE PRIMARILY THERE TO LISTEN TO THEIR IMPRESSIONS ON

THE GROUND SO TO SPEAK?

SIR GEOFFREY: LARGELY LISTENING TO THEIR IMPRESSIONS ON THE GROUND. BUT CERTAINLY LEAVING THEM IN NO DOUBT OF OUR JUDGEMENT OF THE UNFORTUNATE CAPABILITY OF LIBYA AND ITS GOVERNMENT TO

UNDERTAKE THINGS OF THIS KIND.

INT: FINALLY SIR GEOFFREY ON THE EVE OF YOUR ARRIVAL THERE, THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT IN AN ISLAND THAT ONE DOESN'T HEAR MUCH ABOUT, FIJI. AND FIRST ASSESSMENTS ARE THAT THE NEW GOVERNMENT IS PERHAPS LESS PRO-WESTERN PERHAPS MORE STRONGLY ANTI-NUCLEAR THAN ITS PREDECESSOR. DOES THIS AGAIN CAUSE ANY

PREOCCUPATION?

SIR GEOFFREY: I THINK IT IS MUCH TOO EARLY FOR ME TO BEGIN OFFERING ANY JUDGEMENT OR ASSESSMENT OF THAT KIND AFTER A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT. THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN IN OFFICE FOR 17 YEARS AND HAD CONTRIBUTED NOTABLY TO THE STABILITY OF THE REGION AND TO FIJI ITSELF. I SHALL BE INTERESTED OF COURSE TO LEARN WHAT I CAN WITHOUT VISITING FIJI ABOUT THE LIKELY DEVELOPMENTS

THERE.

WE IN THE COMMONWEALTH HAVE

WE IN THE FREE WORLD AND LEARNED TO LIVE WITH CHANGES OF GOVERNMENT AFTER ELECTIONS AND THIS IS ONE MORE CHANGE IN THE SCENERY IN WHICH WE SHALL CONTINUE

TO WORK.

HOWE

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MA GILLMORE

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