Hanoi envoys leave Bangkok

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33857, 31 May 1975, Page 15

Hanoi envoys leave Bangkok

(I\ett> Zealand Press Association—Copyright)

BANGKOK, May 30.

Thailand completed the first round of talks with its Communist neighbours in Vietnam yesterday, and the North Vietnamese delegation departed.

The North Vietnamese; Deputy Prime Minister (Mr). Phan Hien) told journalists I just before leaving Bangkok,! "Progress has been made and will continue to be! made.” ( Mr Hien - said that the; presence of 23,000 U.S.: troops xvas still a concern to; North Vietnam. But he; indicated that forma) rela-i tions between Bangkok and! Hanoi might be established;

: before their departure next ■March. ; “We are concerned over ithe presence of the U.S. ■troops,” Mr Hien said, “for the United States has many ■ means to cause war, aggresI sion and the suffering of the ; people in this area.” Tn a related development, the Thai Prime Minister (Mr Kukrit Prainoj) lashed out at the U.S. Secretary of State. He said that Dr Kissinger !has never been interested in ! South-East Asia. “Kissinger has neyer paid attention to anything* else in Ithe world except the United : States and the Middle East, because he is a Jew,” Mr Kukrit said in response to a ! reported Kissinger stateiment, that the Thai military were more important than :Thai politicians. The statement was attribiuted to Dr Kissinger in the current issue of the “Far 'Eastern Economic Review.” In a formal departure (statement, Mr Hien said, (“The talks between the delegations . . . proceeded in an atmosphere of frankness. “The two parties agree on ; many important questions. I Yet there are still a few out--1 standing problems that need further discussions.” The North Vietnamese visit was the second Communist delegation to arrive lin Bangkok since the col- . lapse of the old South Vietnamese Government. Two weeks ago, a delegation from the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam was in Bangkok to open the new dialogue between Vietnamese Communists and Thailand. Bishop resigns One of the 10 bishops of ■ the Norwegian State Lutheran ■ Church has resigned in pro- ; test against a liberal abortion I law accepted by the Storting (Parliament). The bishop of Borg (the Rev. Per Loenning) said in his resignation letter to the King that the voice of the Church had been ignored by the authorities. .Earlier the Bishop’s Council registered strong objections to the new abortion law. which in practice will make free abortions available to Norwegian women.--Oslo, May 130.