Question
Prime Minister, I wonder if you could start by briefly outlining for me the reason for your visit to the Gulf States.
Prime Minister
Well, when we left the Gulf in 1971, I think a number of the Gulf States felt that we had lost interest in the region and somehow we did not send Ministers there as frequently as we had, while other countries started to. I think a new chapter began when the Queen paid a marvellously successful visit to the region in 1979 and we are now trying to follow that up. Ministers go. We increased trading relationships, and I think my visit is the next in the series. I was very surprised when I first heard that no Prime Minister in office had actually visited the Gulf States and so we are remedying that omission.
Question
You have already just said there has always been a close traditional relationship and you see that relationship now as based on trade? [end p1]
Prime Minister
On trade but much much more than that, because after all, we have had a natural interest in the region and the people long before there was oil there or long before oil was the main commodity of the region.
Question
Are you happy with the trading relationships that exist between Britain and the Gulf?
Prime Minister
They are, I think, getting steadily closer and we are doing more and more trade. Of course, we would like to continue to do even more. With oil there and with it being the main source of the world's supply of oil, I do think that our own experience of drilling offshore and experience of drilling also for gas—there are now great big gas deposits there as well and petrochemical complexes—we might be able to help with developing some more of those and, of course, we also supply other consumer goods. There are times when we help with constructing buildings. A lot of our construction engineers have been out there for a time and engineering consultants and also there are a lot of social things to be done in the region, hospitals to be built, schools to be built. We feel that we can help in many of these ways. [end p2]
Question
If we can switch to a less happy area, an enduring problem that exists in the Middle East is the Arab-Israeli dispute. Now, what role can Britain play in endeavouring to solve that problem?
Prime Minister
We have been playing a role as a member of the European Community. As you know, the United States began what was called the “Camp David process” . It was really trying to bring Egypt and Israel together as part of a first stage to solving that problem. They then hoped to go on to dealing with the problems of the Palestinian people. That process got quite a long way. The United States is now considering how to take it further and Secretary of State Haig is now out in the Middle East consulting about the next stage. Then came the American election and we felt that there could not be a vacuum, we really must take the process further forward, and so we went round the many States in the area discussing with them the best way to take it forward and saying that if we were to get a settlement, both Israel must recognise the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian people must recognise the right of Israel to exist behind secure boundaries. I think we all know that. The difficulty is to get those two things happening simultaneously. [end p3]
Question
There has also been considerable controversy recently over the possible creation of a Western rapid deployment force in order to counter possible Soviet intervention in the Gulf. Now, what assurances would you give to the people of the area that their fears were unfounded?
Prime Minister
I think people just automatically connected a rapid deployment force with the Gulf only. The point of having a rapid deployment force is the old motto of be prepared, whatever happens anywhere in the world, so that if you get trouble coming quickly—and when trouble comes it tends to come quickly—you have got troops that you can move, if requested by the area, that you can move quickly, because they specialize on being able to move rapidly and they have considered how to do it and we have both the right equipment and logistics and people to do it.
It was not meant just for the Gulf, not to be stationed in the Gulf and of course, it would not be used unless requested, but you cannot use one or respond to a request if you have not got one. I think people in the Gulf felt somehow we were going to station some troops there, or that they were suddenly going to go there without their being requested by the States in the area and that just would not be so. [end p4]
Question
How real actually is the Soviet threat to the Gulf region?
Prime Minister
Well, I think that people can assess it very well for themselves. The Soviets moved into Afghanistan, an independent, non-aligned country, now an occupied country whose government, in fact, is kept there by the presence of some 85,000 to 90,000 Soviet forces. That is within a few hundred miles of the Straits of Hormuz and the Arabian Gulf. That was an extra threat. We were all very concerned indeed at events in Iran, which introduced a new uncertainty into the Gulf area and then, of course, more recently, by hostilities between Iraq and Iran. All of this injects instability and worry into the area, but the States in the Gulf are now responding. They are building their own defences, they are creating their own security and that, in the end, is the only good way to ensure your own future in peace and stability.
Question
You do not think there is a danger of the West becoming overprotective perhaps? [end p5]
Prime Minister
I think the fact is that the States in the area are making great efforts for their own defence. Of course, there are times when they are asking for advice and then it is very readily given if asked for and, of course, we are selling the very best weapons, aircraft and tanks that we have to them. And, of course, we are doing some training in response to their requests. The responsibility is primarily theirs and we recognise the way in which they feel about it.
Question
Finally, Prime Minister, how do you see the relationship developing between Britain and the Gulf States?
Prime Minister
I hope it will develop more closely. I have constantly tried to explain that we have historic ties which go back a long time before oil was taken out in the kind of quantity that it is now. We were in there for a very long time. We would like to pick up this old relationship of true friendship and take it and develop it, we believe, for our mutual benefit.