Ministerial visits from the UK to the Gulf

This file concerns the visits of UK ministers to the Gulf. It contains briefs, itineraries and correspondence on:

• Schedules of ministerial visits, inward and outward, for 1985
• Visit by the Defence Minister John Stanley to Saudi Arabia and the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR)
• Proposed visit to Kuwait, Qatar and the YAR by the Trade Minister Paul Channon
• Proposed visit to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE by the Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe
• Discussions about planned visits by the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the Foreign Secretary and other minsters
• Visit by the Prime Minister to Egypt and Jordan on 16-20 September
• Postponement of a visit to the Gulf by the newly-appointed Minister for Defence Procurement Norman Lamont
• Kuwait’s policy with regards the Iran-Iraq War
• Supply of spare parts to Iran for armoured vehicles under British contracts
• Defence relations with Oman, including contracts to supply Tornado combat aircraft and a Marconi contract for a tri-service communications system under ‘Project Hudhud’
• Defence relations with Kuwait, including contracts for the MCV80 and Chieftain tanks
• Arab-Israeli conflict, including reference to the Amman Agreement, 1984 on a joint Palestinian and Jordanian position
• Saudi-UK defence collaboration
• YAR-UK defence relations, including mine clearance operations and the survey of Yemeni waters by HMS Hydra
• Question of self-determination for the Falkland Islands and a forthcoming UN resolution