P.N.G.’s P.M. equivocal on N-ship visits

Press, 15 August 1984, Page 9

P.N.G.’s P.M. equivocal on N-ship visits

NZPA-AAP Port Moresby Papua New Guinea would not allow foreign warships into its waters if it was discovered they were carrying nuclear weapons, said the Prime Minister, Mr Somare, yesterday. “If we know that they are carrying nuclear weapons in their ships we will not allow them,” he told Parliament. “But there are ships which enter the harbour without our knowing that they had weapons in them.” However, Mr Somare added that in cases of emergency a concession could be made for the ships to enter Papua New Guinea territorial waters. Mr Somare had earlier

said the Government might allow a ship carrying nuclear weapons to enter Papua New Guinea waters after talks with the foreign Government concerned. This would apply only to Governments which had “some agreement or support for the region”. “These type of ships with nuclear weapons, yes, we would allow them to enter our ports,” Mr Somare said. He was replying to questions without notice on his reported statement last week that Papua New Guinea would not necessarily follow New Zealand’s stand to prevent nuclear ships travelling in its waters.