Wilson’s envoy in Salisbury

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33883, 1 July 1975, Page 17

Wilson’s envoy in Salisbury

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

SALISBURY, June 30.

The British Deputy Foreign Secretary (Mr David Ennals) today began a second round of talks with the Rhodesian Prime Minister (Mr Smith) and black nationalist leaders before leaving for London to report on his findings.

Yesterday, Mr Ennals spent 90 minutes with Mr! Smith, talked for almost two hours with the African National Council, had two sessions with the Foreign Minister (Mr Pieter van der Byl), and met delegations from two of Rhodesia’s Opposition parties. There has been no leak of any kind on how the talks are progressing. Mr Ennals has stated repeatedly that he is in Rhodesia “purely to sound out opinion on ’ convening a full constitutional conference,” and that there is no question of any substantial negotiations. Mr Ennals arrived in Salisbury yesterday from Pretoria, where he had met the South African Prime Minister (Mr Vorster) and thei

Foreign Minister (Dr Hilgard • I Muller). After a brief discussion with Mr van der Byl, Mr ■ Ennals was driven to Mr • Smith’s official residence ini Salisbury for an unexpect-! • edly early meeting with the i Rhodesian leader. According to his itinerary, he was to have met Mr Smith today, ' and yesterday’s meeting was believed to have been at Mr Smith’s request. ' Mr Smith himself made a flying visit to Pretoria on Saturday for an informal meeting with Mr Vorster — a move seen by some observers as an attempt to “upstage” Mr Ennals. Yesterday afternoon. Mr Ennals had long meetings with delegations from the Rhodesia Party and the I multi-racial Centre Party.