Visit of UK All Party Friendship Group to Persian Gulf

This file relates to the All Party Friendship Group with the Gulf States, whose members include David Crouch MP, Andrew Faulds MP and David Watkins MP. It contains:

• A brief on the political situation in the Gulf for the Minister of State's meeting with the group
• Correspondence concerning a proposed visit by the group to Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, Iran and Saudi Arabia; discussion of the objectives of the visit; the question of which Rulers to meet; and the reaction of the UK's diplomatic posts to the proposed visits

This file also contains correspondence relating to:

• Rumours that Faulds has written an unpublished letter to the Sunday Telegraph expressing sympathy with the views of Black September
• A description of the National Council of the UAE
• Oman's opposition to a visit by four Conservative Party MPs, which was proposed by Michael Rice & Company Limited