similar
b.
SECRET UK EYES A
Declaration's provisions.
(3)
Significant progress has nevertheless been made in Our efforts to maintain our Defence relations with countries in the Far East during 1990/91. Within the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) we have contributed substantially to regional exercises and despite resource constraints we have achieved a wholly acceptable plateau and frequency of participation in exercises. The aim is to continue participation at approximately the level established in recent years, although precise future contributions will continue to be governed by resources and other commitments. Military advisory and project teams have continued to provide invaluable assistance in region and large defence sales contracts have been signed with significant prospects remaining. Ministers, senior British Service officers and Government officials visited several regional countries during the period, activities which together are designed to indicate that a continuing measure of British interest and support will be forthcoming in the region up to and beyond our withdrawal from Hong Kong. They also provide a positive contribution towards the development of individual countries' Defence forces. In sum, it is fair to say that the UK's efforts in these respects have been noted and broadly welcomed by regional nations.
Review Military Assistance in Southern Africa.
In
18
(1)
Military assistance Southern Africa is going through a process of adjustment, reflecting wo major factors: increased, pressure on FCO UK Military Training Assistance Scheme UKMTAS) funding, and a redirection of the FCO's policy priorities towards South Africa itself rather than the front line states. The combination of these two factors lies behind decisions to make, on the one hand, significant reductions in the size of the teams in Zimbabwe and Namibia, and on the other hand to place increasing emphasis on providing, together with the Portugese,, military assistance in Angola following the 1991 peace settlement. The deployment of a modest Loan Service (LS) team here is a distinct possibility for 1992. Assistance to Mozambique is likely to continue at least am! at its current level, and could increase if the peace process can re-acquire the momentum it lost during 1991.
(2) The main component of the government's military assistance programme is the LS teams in Zimbabwe, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho and Mauritius. These are deployed in pursuit of foreign policy objectives and are funded by the FCO. Defence interest in the region is confined to Botswana which offers infantry training facilities, taken up for the first time for a company level exercise in funded LS team was withdrawn at the end of
1991. A MOD 1990.
(3) In the
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longer term, the possibility exists of
2
SECRET UK EYES A
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