The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Tag: Chile

  • Mr Major’s Joint Doorstep Interview with the President of Chile – 16 October 1996

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s joint doorstep interview in London with the President of Chile, Mr Eduardo Frei, on Wednesday 16th October 1996.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Can I firstly say how delighted I was to see the President here at Downing Street today. We have had the opportunity over the last two hours of some fairly wide-ranging discussions both on bilateral matters and also on international affairs. The relationship at the moment between our two countries is very good, very good politically and very good in terms of trade and investment. But the first thing we discussed was how to improve mutual trade and mutual investment and we set out a practical programme to achieve that. We both believe that there is tremendous scope for improvement and we are determined to achieve that improvement.

    We also discussed a range of other bilateral matters and some international matters as well. I think rather than elaborate upon these, I will ask the President to say a few words and then we will answer any questions you may have. So in reiterating my very warm welcome to the President, I would like to invite him to say a few words to you.

    PRESIDENT FREI:

    [Interpretation inaudible].

    QUESTION:

    [Interpretation inaudible].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We have to foster greater contact, that is the underlying point. We have put together a detailed programme about how that contact can be accelerated, we are looking at greater bilateral trade missions, greater bilateral investment missions, mutual exchanges of top businessmen, more exchanges of senior officials in government and a detailed examination within both governments of the opportunities, first for British investment in Chile and Chilean investment in Britain, but also the prospects of using Britain as an investment centre for the rest of Europe and Chile as an investment centre for the rest of Latin America. The President and I are both determined that this shall happen, so we have both said to our Ministers that we expect them to report to us what has happened and what has resulted from that so that this is not an initiative that fails to proceed. I think the scope is very great and I am determined that we take the opportunities that exist.

    QUESTION:

    [Interpretation inaudible].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We will ratify it very speedily. Having said that, we British are a little disappointed in the agreement with Chile because it is not as far-reaching as we would have wished. We would have been more pleased if our European partners had agreed firstly a more far-reaching agreement, and secondly an agreement that came fully into effect more speedily. Nonetheless, we are pleased with the agreement that we have got, we just had hoped it would have been an even more wide reaching agreement, and we will work with the Government of Chile to try and improve a better agreement in the future.

    QUESTION:

    [Interpretation inaudible].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Whisky is usually a source of pleasure in the United Kingdom, not of conflict. The President and I have discussed that, of course, as you would imagine and I know the President is looking at more proposals to deal with the domestic problem he has and also international obligations under the World Trade Organisation. So it was certainly a subject of discussion and the President may wish to add something to that.

    PRESIDENT FREI:

    [Interpretation inaudible].

  • PMQT Written Answers – 15 April 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 15th April 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Iraq

    Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what representations Her Majesty’s Government have received from international doctors about disease in Iraq.

    The Prime Minister : We have received a number of reports about conditions in Iraq, notably that of United Nations Under Secretary-General Ahtisaari. We have announced a pledge of £20 million to be spent partly bilaterally and multilaterally to alleviate the human tragedy provoked by Saddam Hussein. We are also funding daily airlifts to the refugees at a cost of £1 million per week. These contributions are in addition to earlier substantial pledges to the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nation agencies’ appeals.

     

    Chile

    Mr. Wray : To ask the Prime Minister if, during the official visit of the President of Chile, the Government will offer improved terms of trade for Chilean exports, and increased transfer of technology and financial support for his programmes.

    The Prime Minister : Chile will benefit from any market access concessions negotiated with the European Community during the GATT round. We increased our bilateral technical co-operation funds for Chile following the accession of President Aylwin’s Government and are presently discussing a number of projects.

    President Aylwin’s visit will lead to closer links between Britain and Chile. I was able to pay tribute to the President’s achievement in restoring and consolidating democracy.

     

    Nuclear Weapons

    Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister whether he is prepared to use nuclear weapons first in response to a conventional attack.

    The Prime Minister : The 1990 NATO London declaration made clear that, while NATO will never in any circumstances be the first to use force, nuclear weapons will continue to fulfil an essential role in the overall strategy of the alliance to prevent war by ensuring that there are no circumstances in which nuclear retaliation in response to military action might be discounted.

     

    Migrant Workers

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty’s Government’s policy towards ratification of the new international convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and their families.

    The Prime Minister : The United Kingdom does not intend to ratify the convention on the protection of migrant workers and their families.

     

    Vehicle Theft

    Mr. Cohen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will set up a joint working party of the Home Office and Department of Transport to investigate the possibility of designing cars to be more resistant to theft.

    The Prime Minister : The Home Office and Department of Transport have investigated ways in which the security of cars could be improved and discussions are in progress between these Departments, and with the motor manufacturers, on how best their findings and recommendations may be implemented. Home Office crime prevention publicity, particularly during crime prevention week this week, aims to increase awareness of the need for effective car security measures. My right Friend the Home Secretary published today a car theft index which allows owners to see which models are particularly subject to theft.

  • Mr Major’s Toast to President Aylwin of Chile – 10 April 1991

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s extended toast to President Aylwin of Chile on Wednesday 10th April 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Mr. President,

    May I extend a warm welcome to you, your wife and your daughter. We are delighted to have you, your Ministers and your colleagues as our guests tonight. Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal is no stranger to this house. But this is the first occasion that Norma and I have had to welcome her here and we do so with real pleasure. Her Royal Highness hopes to visit Chile later this year. That will be another high point in the development of our relations.

    It is a privilege to welcome to Britain a South American President with British origins. A President who, moreover, has an “Englishman” as his Finance Minister (Sr Foxley – and we welcome him too this evening) and a “Scot” (Sr Hamilton) as his Minister of Mines. Perhaps, because we live in the Northern Hemisphere, I have a reverse arrangement in my Cabinet: a Scotsman as my Finance Minister and an Englishman as my Secretary of State for Energy.

    But perhaps these links with Britain should come as no surprise when one recalls that the Republic of Chile’s Navy was founded by an English Lord. Lord Cocheran, and that the struggle for independence against Spain was led by an Irishman, the great Bernardo O’Higgins.
    The President’s British ancestry is well established. While the preparations for this visit were being made, the researchers at the Royal College of Arms, with the help of the President’s family, traced the direct ancestors of the President back to the seventeenth century. This evening I gave the President a scroll showing that his family derives from a long line of Sussex yeomen from a beautiful area of our country round Midhurst. I believe the President will be having a look at the area, and perhaps meeting some very distant cousins when the official part of his programme is over.

    Our research shows the family did not always enjoy good fortune. In the middle of the eighteenth century, Robert Aylwin, as a younger son, had to leave the land and become a tallow-chandler in London. His son Robert Patrick Aylwin was also a tallow-chandler in South London. But, again, times forced a change. His son, Richard Aylwin (under what pressures we do not know) made the tremendous decision to emigrate to Chile. He prospered there, very sensibly married a Chilean lady and became so well-established that Her Majesty’s Government appointed him Consul in the port of Constitucion.

    But the challenges to the Aylwin family were not yet over. In the political troubles of the 1690s the emigrant’s son Ricardo Patricio Aylwin stood up for what he believed was right. He suffered imprisonment and financial ruin. All the more credit then to his son, the President’s father, that entirely by his own efforts, he should have risen from being a farm boy in his grandmother’s care to become President of the Supreme Court of Chile.

    What pride, Sir, your yeoman ancestors from Sussex would take in these achievements. Pride, but not, I suspect surprise. But your achievements surpass even those of your forebears. And they are achievements which have given enormous satisfaction to all of Chile’s friends. To all who watched her suffering with anguish. And to all who have rejoiced in your return to democracy. And that is your achievement. You created the united opposition which led the Chilean people to say ‘No’ to military dictatorship.

    You forged that voice of protest, made up of many disparate forces, into a potent political force. You led Chile peacefully back to democratic rule. And let me stress this: the peaceful return to power. In a world where dictatorship is, thank God, being cast aside the peaceful transition to democracy is a precious achievement. I pay tribute to the maturity of the Chilean people. I pay special tribute to the skill of President Aylwin and his supporters in bringing this about.

    We in Britain were delighted when Chile returned to the democratic fold. As a sign of this we increased our help to Chile and have helped fund a programme to bring exiles back home. The good government policies we see currently in Latin America have led us to increase substantially our bilateral aid budget to the region as a whole.

    Mr President, we welcome you here as we welcomed Chile’s return to democracy and the light of freedom. May I propose a toast to you, President and Mrs Aylwin, to the happiness and prosperity of all your people, and to the long-standing friendship between your country and ours.