TNAG-2355-FCO40-3426-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1991 — Page 37

CONFIDENTIAL

M Paul HKD

Paul,

CC:

PS/All Ministers Sir Arthur Watts DUSS

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to Hidrof Dept. then beep

From: Date:

Sir Patrick Wright 27 March 1991

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Mr Cornish, News

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Mr Bates, PRU

Special Advisers

SECRETARY OF STATE'S OVERSEAS „VISITS 1991/92

1.

I chaired a meeting of the Ministerial Visits Committee on 25 March to review proposals for the Secretary of State's overseas travel from April 1991 to June 1992. We did not consider commitments within the EC framework on the basis that most, if not all, of these meetings are fixed elements in the calendar and ones which the Secretary of State will feel he must be present at, or in certain cases, ask another Minister to represent him. We tried, as far as possible, to take into account the Secretary of State's known preferences, and likely gaps in his calendar.

2. We agreed to recommend the following visits for the Secretary of State. A table summarising these

recommendations is attached.

a) Far East

The Secretary of State is visiting China and Hong Kong from 1 to 9 April. During his visit he may propose to the Chinese Foreign Minister that they meet in future at approximately six monthly intervals but not necessarily in capitals. We have nonetheless signalled a possible further visit to Peking in April next year.

b) Middle East

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The Secretary of State visited the Middle East and the Gulf in January and February. He is to visit the area in early May. We recommend he should go to Riyadh and Cairo in addition to Turkey (the latter promised after the truncated visit in January). He might also wish to go to Kuwait, though for logistical reasons this visit would have to be within one day. I would myself like to recommend a visit to Damascus; but time constraints may

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/make this

CONFIDENTIAL