Soviet Union offers aid to Tonga

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34151, 12 May 1976, Page 5

Soviet Union offers aid to Tonga

GV Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. Reports of Soviet discussions aimed at Russia’s acquiring servicing facilities for its fishing fleets at Tonga will be referred to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Taiboys). The Prime Minister, (Mr Muldoon). said that he would ask Mr Talbovs to inquire into the reports. The “Sunday Telegraph,” of Sydney, reports that the Soviet Union has offered to build an international airport and develop industries such as fishing and canning in Tonga. The Russians were known to be keen to use Tonga as a base for their fishing vessels, the newspaper said. Quoting the “Tonga Chronicle,” the Sydney newspaper said the offer was discussed by the Russian am-i bassador (Mr Oleg Selyeni ! nov), and King Taufa’ Ahau Tupou of Tonga at the King’s palace in Nuku’alofa, the Tongan capital. Mr Selyeninov, who is also Ambassador to New Zealand, said that Tonga would benefit through trade, scientific research, sports, and other developments. The “Sunday Telegraph” said the Russian move was of vital interest because of a power struggle between Russia and the United States in the Indian Ocean, where the United States planned to build a base on the island of Diego Garcia. Crown Prince Tupouto’a, of Tonga, passing through

Sydney last week on his way home from a diplomatic post in London, said of the Russia-Tonga talks: “It is a very delicate matter. “I was present in London a few months ago and took part in early discussions with Russian diplomats. “All 1 would like to say is that the general feeling in our Ministry is that Tonga has many friends, and all we ask of them is that they don’t choose our enemies for us.” Tonga, 720 km south-east of Fiji, became independent from Britain in 1970. It has) a population of about 100,090 A.N.Z.U.S. CONCERN Bruce Kohn, of the New Zealand Press Association writes that increased Soviet contact with the Tongan Government is worrying the New Zealand, Australian, and American governments. TheY concern centres on lack cf agreement between the Tongan and Australian governments about money wanted by the Tongans for development, including improvement of the island’s airfield. Discussions on financial aid between Tonga and the Australian Government are believed to have been held recently, and after them Mr Selyaninov, visited Nui-n’alofa. The American Ambassador to New Zealand, Mr Armistead Selden, jun., visited Tonga recently on his way to take up home leave in the United States. It is believed the New Zealand Government has been a.-ked by its allies to pass on any information it

can obtain of Tongan intentions. So far, however, the New Zealand High Commissioner to Tonga (Mr Paul Cotton), who is based in Apia, Western Samoa, has; not, it is believed, been in Tonga since Mr Selyeninov’s visit. RUSSIAN COMMENT Any suggestion that the Russians were planning to establish a base in Tonga was ridiculous, the counsellor at the Russian Embassy in Wellington, Mr A. P. Makarov, said. “You are pulling my leg,” he said when asked to comment on the suggestion. Mr Makarov said that Mr Selyaninov, had been in) Tonga on April 14 to present his credentials as Ambassador. It was the first time the Soviet Union had accredited an ambassador to Tonga. The move was to establish normal relations between the two countries. There had, he added, been a report in the “Tonga Chronicle” of “fields of interest which might be developed between the two States.” These would have included such areas as education and oceanographic research. He said he doubted that Russian fishing boats regularly called at Tonga. “Perhaps an oceanographic research ship visits there sometimes,” he said. “Some of our passenger ships go there quite frequently. I was there myself on one in January.” Mr Makarov added that the Soviet Union had no military bases in either the Pacific or Indian oceans.