The Speaker meets two presidents

Press, 6 February 1982, Page 2

The Speaker meets two presidents

NZPA Washington The Speaker (Sir Richard Harrison) met the presidents of two countries in Washington yesterday and had breakfast with 3000 dignitaries. The meeting with President Reagan came before the vast national prayer breakfast at the Washington Hilton. Sir Richard was one of a group of 15 or 20 selected to meet him. Vice-President George Bush and Brigadier General James Dozier, freed last week from his Red Brigade captors in Italy, were also present.

Sir Richard later observed the Senate foreign relations committee, where he was applauded by its members, and met President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.

Sir Richard told the Press Association later that President Mubarak was “very interested and very pleased” to hear that he would visit Cairo and hoped to meet him there. (Sir Richard, chairman

of the steering committee of Commonwealth speakers and presiding officers, is on his way to Gambia for a committee meeting there, and will also visit Egypt, Nigeria, Tanzania, Nigeria and Zambia.) He spoke with President Reagan only briefly. The New Zealand Ambassador to Washington (Mr Frank Gill) also attended. Sir Richard went on to a lunch given in his honour by the United States House of Representatives Speaker (Mr O’Neill) — dessert was New Zealand strawberries. The New Zealand Speaker presented his American counterpart — a big man — with a Norsewear jersey which another Congressman said must have taken five sheep to produce. The Speaker said Mr O’Neill and other Congressmen who visited him in New Zealand last year were full of praise for their welcome

and the friendliness they found there, and said they, were now well briefed on New Zealand's problems and interests.

Sir Richard also paid tribute to Mr Gill, saying increasing numbers of Congressmen were becoming well versed in New Zealand's attitudes and interests as a result of his efforts.

Sir Richard has also brought jerseys over for President Reagan and VicePresident Bush, but has not yet had them delivered. The Speaker was obviously delighted with his reception. He said he had found a great deal of warmth and affection for New’ Zealand among the congressmen he had spoken tq.

Today he will attend a prayer breakfast given by a joint House and Senate group, after which he and Lady Harrison fly on to Banjul.