Flight of diplomacy

Press, 26 July 1979, Page 7

Flight of diplomacy

By CEDRIC MENTIPLAY | The complicated nature of the flight by the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) to Lusaka, via Mauritius, Madagascar, and Mozambique, was adopted for one reason only,..according to diplomatic) sources in Wellington. Mr Muldoon has been criticised for planning to leave early for the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ conference in Lusaka, which means that I he will miss most of the ■ National Party’s conference in Christchurch. It was considered highly undiplomatic r r Mr Muldoon to pass through South I Africa on his way into Zam-

bia. This would have been) the easier way, as; far as) time and comfort were concerned. The way chosen has been plagued by cancelled services, and by services which run on unwanted days. The plan adopted was for the party to disembark on the island of Mauritius, reaching. Zambia by connecting ’ flights through Madagascar and Mozambique. Initially this would have meant a flight by the Russian airline, ■ Aeroflot: It was then discovered that Aeroflot had cancelled its services in the area. A wry [joke suggests that the cancellation arose from the preI valance of Soviet-made

S.AjM. ground-to-air missiles i in rebel hands. ' However, Mr Muldoon) elected to go to Mauritius, and from there by chartered) Air Zambia Boeing 737. This decision turned the Mauritius trip into a State occasion. As soon as the Gove, ment of Mauritius learned of it, an official invitation was extended to Mr Muldoon, who is a friend of the Minister of Finance of Mauritius (Sir Ringadoo Veerasamy). So now there will be celebrations, necessarily short, and the Prime Minister of Mauritius and his party will travel to Zambia with the Muldoon party aboard ■ the chartered Boeing.