Mr Kirk Visits Europe

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31595, 5 February 1968, Page 22

Mr Kirk Visits Europe

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) THE HAGUE, Feb. 4.

The New Zealand Leader of the Opposition (Mr N. E. Kirk) said at the week-end that he had been encouraged by the sympathetic understanding of New Zealand’s problems in the event of Britain gaining Common Market membership.

He is visiting some of Europe’s captitals to assess the attitude within the E.E.C. to suitable arrangements for New Zealand should Britain join. He has already visited London, Stockholm and Brussels and was to fly to Bonn today before returning to New Zealand via Israel, Vietnam and Singapore. Mr Kirk told reporters that his talks so far had shown

that It was generally recognised that New Zealand represented a special case. Yesterday Mr Kirk made a visit to the European container terminus, Europort, at Rotterdam.

The visit was connected with the plans of two British shipping companies, Overseas Containers, Ltd, and Associated Container Transportation, Ltd, to include Rotter-

dam as Continental port for the service beginning early in 1969 employing six new container ships between Aus* tralia and London. A spokesman for the container terminus said that the British Shipping companies were considering including New Zealand and a Continental port in their sailing schedule if there was sufficient cargo offering.