TNAG-2351-FCO40-3421-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1991 — Page 53

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CONFIDENTIAL

Mr Colvin, SEAD

HKD 026/11

From:

PS/Lord Caithness

Date: 25 February 1991

CC:

Mr Burns

Mr Paul, HKD✓

Mr Walder, SPD

Mr Davies, FED Protocol Department

1023

LORD CAITHNESS' TRAVEL PLANS

We discussed last week a possible programme of visits by Lord Caithness over the next few months. It emerged as follows:

1.

+

Late April/Early May:

Thailand and Indonesia.

2.

Early June: Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.

End July: Hong Kong (for the Heads of Mission Conference) followed by Vietnam & The Philippines.

September:

China.

I understand from the Private Office that unless the Secretary of State decides not to visit China or Hong Kong in April there are no plans for him to visit South East Asia before the end of the year. As you know, Mrs Chalker plans to visit Thailand briefly and Indonesia in mid May. This visit may fall away if ATP support is not forthcoming. Mr Carrick, with whom the Minister has discussed this, remains strongly in favour of a visit by Lord Caithness in this sort of time frame. We shall need to avoid a clash. We will also need to re-assess the desirability of a visit to Thailand in the light of the coup.

I should be grateful if you could now take this forward.

3. The Minister reluctantly concludes that he will not be able to attend the South Pacific forum. He wonders if Lord Glenarthur might be interested in doing so on behalf of HMG. Before approaching Lord Glenarthur he would be grateful for advice from the Department.

25 February 1991

CONFIDENTIAL

Peter Tibber

PS/Lord Caithness

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