Meeting ruled out

Press, 20 September 1985, Page 1

Meeting ruled out

By

PATRICIA HERBERT

in Wellington. The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, said yesterday that the French President, Mr Mitterrand would not accept his invitation for a meeting. “He is not going to nominate any time or place and, in fact, I can well understand that,” he said. “He has I think enough to handle domestically without having me there to talk to.” Mr Lange was referring

to the explosive impact that the revelations contained in the Paris newspaper, “Le Monde,” have had in France. He again declined to comment on the allegations that a third team of saboteurs was involved in the Rainbow Warrior bombing and that it was done under the order of the French Minister of Defence, Mr Hemu. He indicated, however, that some of the details in “Le Monde” and gleaned

from French sources had been new to him. Neither did he dismiss C.B.S. television reports that no fewer than 20 French Secret Service personnel were in New Zealand before the sabotage. His personal view, not based on police information, was that it might not necessarily be an exaggeration or speculation, he said. Mr Hernu’s statement page 3.