TNAG-2767-FCO40-3984-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1993 — Page 170

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TRANSCRIPT A MR O' DONNELL/MR CORNISH/MR PELLEW

22 FEBRUARY 1993

BACKGROUND BRIEFING

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Range Rover. So there are various bilateral specific issues which will come up under trade.

They will also want to talk about the world economy G7. On Saturday in London we have the G7 Finance Ministers and I am sure they will want to swap opinions on where the world economy is going, what are the main issues that are at stake. The Prime Minister will have noted President Clinton's initiative in terms of reducing their structural deficit, they of course are in a much worse position than us in that a very large proportion of their deficit is structural, something like 70 percent, and they have had to live with that for a very long time.

They we will come on to a range of foreign policy issues such as Iraq, Russia, the former Yugoslavia, China, MFN status and no doubt the Americans will want to raise Northern Ireland with us.

So those are the main issues as I see it, there are 101 other things that may come up, but those at the moment I think are going to be the most important things that arise. Obviously the Prime Minister and the President have actually a lot of time together on the basis of what I have been telling you about talks, followed by a press statement, followed by dinner, so they could range quite widely.

But I will try and keep people informed while we are out there as to what is going on insofar as I can, but it looks like a pretty action packed day and a bit.