Conference on resources

Press, 27 March 1980, Page 29

Conference on resources

NZPA Bangkok New Zealand has offered to host an Asian-Pacif-ic conference seminar on the development of geothermal resources. The Minister of Trade and Industry' (Mr AdamsSchneider), before he left Bangkok for Singapore, said that details of the seminar were being worked out with the secretariat of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. The seminar would be for member countries of the commission. Mr Adams-Schneider, who led New Zealand's delegation to the commission’s conference in Bangkok. said New Zealand supported the efforts being made by E.S.C.A.P. to develop new and renewable sources of energy. Mr Adams-Schneider said E.S.C.A.P. was putting more assistance into helping Pacific Island

nations and New Zealand wanted to promote this attention to the island States. Pacific countries had agreed, he said, that before future meetings of the commission they would meet.to cc-ordinate their attitudes. Mr Adams-Schneider said talks he had held with members of the new Thai Government indicated it might be possible to sign a new trade agreement with Thailand. “We hope to have a trade agreement ready for signature as soon as possible,” he said. “We have talked about bilateral trade in general terms and the fact that our policies on import licensing will lead to fresh opportunities for Thai exporters to sell in New Zealand.” The Minister said that the Thai Government was clearly still “feeling its way” on trade and foreign policy issues.