REPRESENTATION IN ASIA

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27603, 9 March 1955, Page 12

REPRESENTATION IN ASIA

N.Z. GOVERNMENT’S ATTITUDE MR HOLLAND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 8. Asked whether New Zealand would appoint a diplomatic mission to Singapore or elsewhere in the S.E.A.T.O. region, the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) tonight said that he had firm recommendations to make to the Cabinet on representation in South-east Asia. “Undoubtedly there - are strong grounds for the establishment of a diplomatic and trading mission in this area of growing importance to New Zealand,” he said. “In Singapore I attended a reception given by the recently-formed New Zealand Association, and I received very strong recommendations about representation in the area. “At the Bangkok conference it was agreed, I understand, that each of the member countries would designate permanent representatives to sit on standing committees of the S.E.A.T.O. Council. These committees will remain in session in Bangkok, except New Zealand. We have to decide whether New Zealand representation should be at S.E.A.T.O. headquarters or in Singapore. If the latter, then the New Zealand representative would have to spend a considerable part of his time in Bangkok attending various meetings.

“Diplomatic representation is necessarily expensive,” Mr Holland said. “It should either be done properly or not all. But, clearly, if we have undertaken obligations in this field we shall carry them out to the extent that our resources permit.”