Russia Admitted To Conference Lines

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32118, 14 October 1969, Page 36

Russia Admitted To Conference Lines

(N.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent) LONDON. October 12. A Russian shipping line has been admitted to the New Zealand-Europe Shipping Conference, after months of negotiations between the U.S.S.R. and representatives of the conference.

The line is the Baltic Steamship Company, -of Leningrad. The first Soviet ves-

seis in the Conference programme of sailings, will leave New Zealand in November and December. A spokesman for the Conference said that the number of Soviet sailings in a year would be related to the amount of wool purchased by Soviet • organisations from New Zealand. The Baltic company and the Conference have installed an agreement for Russian participation in the trade. It would be ratified later after “consideration of points of detail,” the spokesman said. Membership is effective from October 1. The question of Russia’s joining the Conference was raised last year when Soviet ships were engaged in a freight rate-cutting war with Conference lines serving the Australian wool trade. After negotiations Russia was invited to join the Australian Conference. The final negotations for the New Zealand trade were held “in an atmosphere based on the desire of both parties to serve the general interest of the trade and to achieve a greater understanding and friendly co-operation,” the spokesman said. The Conference delegation was headed by Mr W. R. Russell, chairman of Shaw Savill.