TNAG-2352-FCO40-3422-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1991 — Page 152

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Foreign & Commonwealth Office

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London SWIA 2AH

27 June 1991

Telephone: 071-

270 3725/4

DE Love Esq OT2

DT I

REGIONAL HEADS OF MISSION CONFERENCE: 22-25 JULY

1. As promised, I enclose a draft telegram to posts setting out the detailed agenda/timetable of the Conference, and the way in which we would like to organise the discussion.

2. We have given particular thought to the extended session on economic and commercial developments on Tuesday 23 July, which will of course be the centrepiece of the Conference. As you will see, I have set out individual presentations on separate topics of discussion along the lines that we originally discussed. But to leave general discussion until the end of all the individual presentations, or even (say) to have two hours of individual presentations in the morning and afternoon, followed by two hours of separate general discussions, seems to us to force Heads of Mission and other participants into too rigid a straitjacket. The discussion will have to be paced more carefully, if those taking part are not to feel that they are being restrained from comment. We have therefore set out the topics for discussion in the order that we propose they should be taken, but have refrained from fixing a rigid timetable, preferring to allow general discussion to develop naturally after each individual session. This will call for firm chairmanship, and careful note-taking to extract the main themes from the various exchanges. It may be necessary to work out some informal timetable on the spot to give an indication of when specific topics are likely to be taken. But our hope is to cover the ground thoroughly, without forcing the members of the Conference into too inflexible a framework.

B10AJB

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