“First leader to visit us”

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33424, 4 January 1974, Page 1

“First leader to visit us”

(By

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY)

DACCA, January 3.

Despite pessimistic accounts by non-Bengalis, the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Kirk) is convinced that the new State of Bangladesh will survive.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) has a special feeling for New Zealand and for Mr Kirk whom he today described as “the first leader of the world to come and have a look at us.”

The conclusion of talks today between the two leaders left full agreement on New Zealand’s agro-aviation aid to Bangladesh plus probable follow-up support in forestry’ and in dairyfarming. Feeding Bangladesh’s 75 million people is the main challenge and this is basically a matter of producing a third rice crop during the year. The improvement in irrigation needed is mainly a matter of getting the required number of special pumps, a task beyond New Zealand’s capacity. With the four Fletcher aircraft already working, plus up to 12 more. New Zealand will be concentrating on plant protection through crop-dust-ing rather than on aerial topdressing as we know it. Mr Kirk will flv to the Chittagong area by helicopter to see the plant-pro-tection effort in operation. The joint communique which will probably be released tonight will show New Zealand ,-snd Bangladesh as co-believyjs that the Com-.

Imonwealth should save itself • by concentrating on wider ; issues in the economic field. Sheikh Rahman beSeves

his State is part of SouthEast Asia, possibly a step-ping-stone to Asia. His attitude to the Association of South-East Asian Nations is similar to that expressed by Mr Kirk that the linkage should be by bilateral understandings with individual A.S.E.A.N. members, both States standing off from full membership. No finality has been reached on trade deals between New Zealand and Bangladesh. This would mean that a decision to import jute for New Zealand wool bales is still dependent on a close study of the cost of the product of the Geraldine factory of the New Zealand Linen Flax Corporation.