Prime Minister To Visit Washington

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31781, 11 September 1968, Page 28

Prime Minister To Visit Washington

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, September 10. The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) is to meet President Johnson for top-level talks in Washington early next month.

He also hopes' to meet the two Presidential candidates Vice-President Hubert Humphrey (Democrat) and Mr Richard Nixon (Republican).

Mr Holyoake announced today plans for a three-week overseas tour which will take him to the United States and South Korea. x He said that he would be visiting Washington on October 9 and 10 to discuss international issues including the Vietnam war, developments

in Asia, and the Russian occupation of Czechoslovakia. Referring to the Vietnam war, the Prime Minister said: “Vietnam, of course, will be a topic of particular significance, and I look forward to discussing the progress of the war, the state of negotiations in Paris, and prospects for the future.”

Other Topics Other topics he expected to be discussed included some of the principal items to be considered by the United Nations, and matters affecting bilateral relations between New Zealand and the United States—particularly in the field of trade. Mr’ Holyoake said that from Washington he would fly to New York where he would lead the New Zealand delegation to the twenty-third session of the United Nations General Assembly. “My special purpose is to take part in the assembly’s general debate, and I shall deliver the New Zealand statement on October 14,” he said. Also planned were talks

with leaders of a number of United Nations delegations and the Secretary-General of the United Nations (U Thant). Ministerial Sessions From New York the Prime Minister will fly to Seoul for the Ministerial sessions of the Colombo Plan conference to be held between October 22 and 25. “The annual meeting of the countries participating in the Colombo Plan has always been important for New Zealand,” said the Prime Minister. "This year it has added significance because the Ministers attending are to give particular attention to the question of export promotion. “I am confident that the efforts and studies we have undertaken in this field will provide a sound basis for the New Zealand contribution to these discussions,” he said. Mr Holyoake is expected to return directly to New Zealand after the conference. He will be accompanied on his tour by his wife.