Sheikh pushes shipping plan

Press, 29 September 1976, Page 1

Sheikh pushes shipping plan

PA Wellington The Prime Minister of Bahrain (Sheikh Khalifa bin Sulmah al-Khalifa) yesterday put his proposals for a joint BahrainiNew Zealand-Australian shipping line to Government and producer board officials.

Official producer board reaction was non-commit-tal to the project, under which New Zealand meat and dairy’ produce would be shipped to “free port” areas in Bahrain and then distributed around the Gulf from there. New Zealand’s meat trade with countries fringing the Gulf has been mainly to Iraq and Iran. This year some 32,000 tonnes of beef and lamb will be sold there, most of it shipped in charter ships. Trade with the other Gulf States has not, so far, been of great volume, but dairv and meat shipments

have been transported there by ships from the European Conference Lines. Sheikh Khalifa’s discussion with the Government also included the possibility of New Zealand being involved in the establishment of fish processing industries in Bahrain.

New Zealand is already involved through the Arabco Company in developing fishing and fish processing facilities in Bahrain and other Gulf States. Sheikh Khalifa said at the completion of the talks that his visit has been very successful. “I can see trade developing between our two countries,” he said. Sheikh Khalifa is the most senior Arab statesman to visit New Zealand since the 1972 Yom Kippur War between Israel and various Arab States. He left Wellington last night for Honolulu.