Prime Minister unable to meet Shultz

Press, 27 May 1985, Page 14

Prime Minister unable to meet Shultz

PA Wellington The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, has said that he had wanted to meet the United States Secretary of State. Mr Shultz, at the A.S.E.A.N. dialogue in Kuala Lumpur in July. But it was an A.S.E.A.N. meeting — not an A.N.Z.U.S. one — and it had become clear he would not be able to meet Mr Shultz, he told a post-caucus press conference. “I decided not to have that (A.S.E.A.N.) meeting cast constantly against the speculation that there would be some A.N.Z.U.S. resolution and I decided I would not go.” Mr Lange said. Mr Lange said he had not asked to meet Mr Shultz and been turned down. He. had inquired through diplomatic channels about the

possibilty of a meeting. “It became obvious that A.N.Z.U.S. was in Canberra and A.S.E.A.N. was in Kuala Lumpur, and I was not proposing to go back to Kuala Lumpur having already been there in March.” Mr Lange said Australia and the United States would be having bilateral discussions under A.N.Z.U.S. in Canberra later this year. Asked why he did not propose to seek another meeting with Mr Shultz, Mr Lange said New Zealand had settled down into “a sensible working relationship” with the United States. New Zealand is excluded from the bilateral talks taking place in Canberra in mid-July between Australia and the United States which replace the annual A.N.Z.U.S. meeting which was scrapped. $