§ The Duke of Edinburgh and I were pleased to receive the State Visits of His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe in May and of their Majesties The King and Queen of Norway in July.
§ The Duke of Edinburgh and I remember with pleasure our visit to several Commonwealth Caribbean countries and Bermuda in the spring. We were pleased to visit France to inaugurate, with the President of the French Republic, the Channel Tunnel in May and to attend the ceremonies to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Normandy Landings in June. We were also pleased to visit Canada to attend the Commonwealth Games in August. We recall with pleasure our stare visit to Russia last month.
§ My Government have continued to make provision for the defence of the United Kingdom and our allies and the promotion of international peace and stability, including a substantial contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and to United Nations operations. Recently, my Government have deployed forces to help to defend Kuwait against a threat of invasion by Iraq.
§ My Government have continued to fight terrorism in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.
§ My Government continued to play a full part, both bilaterally (in particular through the Know How Fund) and with partners in supporting the post-communist states of Europe and Asia in their response to the historic challenge of political and economic transformation.
§ My Government welcomed the conclusion of the accession negotiations for Norway, Sweden, Finland and Austria to join the European Union, and the positive results of the referenda held so far in two of the applicant countries. My Government continued to work to bring the countries of Central and Eastern Europe into a closer relationship with the European Union. My Government welcomed the successful conclusion of the GATT Uruguay Round of trade negotiations.
§ My Government worked for progress on the European Union's priority action plan on justice and home affairs and made a number of proposals for further co-operation in this field. My Government worked with our European partners to ensure the effective implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy under the Treaty on European Union. In December 1993 my Government launched an initiative jointly with the Italian Government to involve the six Central and Eastern European countries which have Europe Agreements with the European Union 1635 more closely in the work of the two intergovernmental pillars. My Government welcomed the Commission's report on subsidiarity to the Brussels European Council.
§ My Government have continued to work for a peaceful settlement to the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. My Government made a substantial contribution to international efforts to provide humanitarian relief to all those in need, particularly through the deployment of troops with the United Nations Protection Force.
§ My Government have pledged substantial aid to the Republic of South Africa following the holding of free elections and the establishment of a Government of national unity. My Government were pleased at South Africa's rejoining the Commonwealth after an absence of over thirty years.
§ My Government continued to seek to co-operate with China over all issues related to a smooth transfer of sovereignty in 1997 in the best interests of the people of Hong Kong.
§ My Government responded to the horrifying situation which arose in Rwanda by providing humanitarian relief and have contributed troops and other support to the United Nations Force in Rwanda.
§ An Act has been passed to place the Secret Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Headquarters on a statutory basis, and to make provision for their oversight and that of the Security Service by a committee of Parliamentarians.