MR PIETER BOTHA, SOUTH AFRICA'S MINISTER OF DEFENCE, ARRIVED IN LISBON, PORTUGAL ON FRIDAY (7 APRIL) TO START AN 11-DAY TOUR OF EUROPE. HE IS ALSO TO VISIT PARIS, BONN AND POSSIBLY LONDON DURING THE VISIT.

HE FLEW IN TO A RED-CARPET WELCOME. DURING THE DAY HE HAD MEETINGS WITH ALBERTO FRANCO NOGUEIRA, THE PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER; MANUEL GOMES DE ARAJO, THE DEFENCE MINISTER AND JOAQUIM MOREIRA DA SILVA CUNHA, THE OVERSEAS MINISTER.

LATER IN THE DAY, HE HAD A 65-MINUTE OFFICIAL MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER, DR ANTONIO DE OLIVIERA SALAZAR.

MR BOTHA WAS ACCOMPANIED BY GENERAL RUDOLF HIEMSTRA, COMMANDANT-GENERAL OF THE ARMED FORCES AND NAVAL-CHIEF-OF-STAFF REAR ADMIRAL HUGO BIERMANN.

IN THE EVENING, GENERAL DE ARAJO GAVE A DINNER IN HIS HONOUR AT WHICH THE GENERAL SAID THAT BOTH PORTUGAL AND SOUTH AFRICA WERE DETERMINED TO REMAIN IN AFRICA.

GENERAL ARAUJO SAID THAT BOTH COUNTRIES WERE VICTIMS OF FALSE ACCUSATIONS, MOTIVATED BY ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC INTERESTS IN THE INTERNATION FIELD, WHILE INTERNALLY THEY ALSO FACED TERRORISM.