Miss CharlesPrime Minister, Your Excellencies, My Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen.
May I first, Prime Minister, bid you a very warm welcome here to No. 10 Downing Street on this official visit to the United Kingdom.
We are delighted to have you here as a respected leader both in your own country and throughout the Commonwealth; and as an [end p1] old and dear friend of this country.
We know how staunchly and courageously you have defended not only your own country but also the wider East Caribbean region against alien and extremist views.
You have never faltered in this.
Your championship of freedom has our admiration and our full support. [end p2]
You know, Prime Minister, whenever a foreign visitor comes to No. 10 Downing Street, our Foreign Office let me have a note about them.
I suppose it reads a bit like a school report.
I have to say that yours is the most outstanding that I have ever read! Not a blemish, not a failing, but a story of service and dedication to your country [end p3] and to your people.
The tradition of vigorous defence of your land and your values in Dominica goes back a long way.
Even after Christopher Columbus discovered Dominica one Sunday—thus giving rise to your name—nearly five hundred years ago, the Spaniards made no attempt to settle on your island. [end p4]
Apparently the inhabitants were far too fierce.
The English found just the same 130 years later.
We were beaten off.
But we must have found Dominica very attractive because we fought the French for it seven times before we finally established ourselves.
In World Cup terms the score was 4–3 in [end p5] Britain's favour.
In those days we used to win our matches.
Some of the earliest visitors were impressed with your Island's beauty.
One of them, quoted by Richard Hakluyt, wrote:
&
oqq;Dominica is one of the fayrest Islands of the West, full of hilles, and of very good smell” .[end p6]
You also have a long democratic tradition.
The first House of Representatives was established on Dominica in 1775.
I know that the custom of lively—indeed very lively—political debate is well maintained.
Your visit to Prime Minister's questions yesterday will have reminded you that things are still quite lively here as well. [end p7]
I am glad to see that you have a very full programme for your visit, as I know that you like to be kept fully occupied.
I am sure that on every occasion you have received a very warm and enthusiastic welcome, because of your great reputation and the respect in which you are held here. [end p8]
We in Britain know that Dominica has had its setbacks in recent years.
The tragedy of Hurricane David.
I remember it vividly because it happened shortly after I became Prime Minister.
It ruined your agriculture and left 60,000 people homeless.
The further setback of Hurricane Allen a year later.
But you have worked patiently and [end p9] indomitably with the help of your friends to recover from these disasters.
Britain played its part and we shall continue to give you all the support we can for your development through our aid programme.
We have of course recently agreed to make a further £5 million loan available.
In our talks, Prime Minister, we have discussed the [end p10] wider security situation in the Caribbean. Britain and the United States will tomorrow be presenting to the East Caribbean States a joint training programme to provide your people with necessary police and military skills. And we are of course financing the construction of a coastguard base on Dominica.
You have demonstrated that you have the [end p11] will for defence: we shall do our best to help you secure the means.
We have also discussed the very difficult situation in South Africa.
We both agree in our total abhorrence of apartheid and the indignities and injustices which it inflicts.
We both want to see it eliminated and people of all races in South Africa enjoy [end p12] full political rights.
We both want to see that achieved peacefully which is why we supported the constitution of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group.
Sadly they were unable to bring their task to a successful conclusion and some of the Heads of Commonwealth Governments will of course be meeting in early August to consider their report. [end p13]
We must continue to look for positive steps, however great the difficulties. Measures which simply hit out at South Africa and its economy will only hurt those whom we most want to help, the black people of South Africa.
Prime Minister, you are coming to the end of a short but most successful visit. [end p14]
May I thank you for coming.
May I ask you to carry back to Dominica our warmest good wishes.
And may I ask all our guests to rise and drink a toast to the health of the Prime Minister, Miss Charles, to a future for Dominica as proud and distinguished as its past, and to the friendship between our two countries.