§ 33. Mr. Douglasasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's relations with the Gulf States.
§ Mr. HurdThe United Kingdom's relations with the Gulf States are very friendly. This is illustrated by the number of ministerial visits to the region in recent months, including my right hon. Friend's vist to Kuwait in February, and my own visits to the United Arab Emirates in January and to Saudi Arabia and Oman in February. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is planning to visit a number of Gulf States in April, as is my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence later this month. We warmly welcome the recent important advance in cooperation among the Gulf States.