§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what visits he or his predecessors have made(a) overseas to countries other than EU member states and the applicant countries of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Estonia and (b) to Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Estonia since those countries formally applied to join the EU. [67059]
§ Mr. ByersPoland and Hungary applied to join the EU in April 1994. Since then the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has made the following visits to countries outside the EU.
- Finland—June 1994 (not in EU at that time)
- South Africa—July 1994
- Korea & Malaysia—October 1994
- Japan—January 1995
- India—February 1995
- Saudi Arabia—March 1995
- China—May 1995
- Singapore, Thailand & Malaysia—September 1995
- USA & Canada—November 1995
- India—January 1996
- Japan, UAE—April 1996
- Russia—May 1996
- China & Bahrain—August/September 1996
- Mexico & USA—October 1996
- Singapore—December 1996
- India & Pakistan—January 1997
- Japan—May 1997
- USA—September 1997
- India & Australia—November 1997
- China, Hong Kong & Pakistan—January 1998
- Moscow—March/April 1998
- Switzerland—May 1998
- Singapore—June 1998
- South Africa—September 1998
- USA—October 1998.