N.Z. assurance to Saigon

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33067, 7 November 1972, Page 2

N.Z. assurance to Saigon

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, November 6. An assurance that New Zealand’s attitude of support for the right of the people of South Vietnam to self-determination had been given to President Thieu’s representative at the week-end, the Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) said today.

Commenting on his meeting with the South Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States (Mr Tran Kim Phuong). Mr Marshal) said the Ambassador had given him a very full and clear explanation of the way the South Vietnamese Government saw the proposed peace settlement. Mr Phuong came to New Zealand as a personal representative of President Thieu to convey his Government’s views on the draft agreement worked out in Paris by representatives of the United States and North Vietnam. “New Zealanders have been appalled by the suffering of this war, caused by unprovoked Communist aggression, and they are anxious to see it ended quickly,” Mr Marshall said. “From the outset we have believed that it can only be ended by a negotiated settlement. Such a settlement cannot be achieved unless both sides are willing to make some concessions and take some risks. “At the same time we are conscious that the consequences of taking risks will fall not upon New Zealand but chiefly upon South Vietnam, and’for that reason we

have been glad to hear the views of the Government of South Vietnam,” the Prime Minister said. “I assured Mr Phuong that New Zealand has not altered, and does not intend to alter, its attitudes of support for the right of the people of South Vietnam to self-deter-mination. We shall follow developments in the next few critical weeks with this aim still uppermost in our minds.” Asked if this meant that New Zealand would support South Vietnam, if the United States and North Vietnam signed a ceasefire in spite of President Thieu’s opposition, Mr Marshall said that Mr Phuong did not seek any response or undertaking.