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shown that the concept of full individual national sovereignty is obsolete. Moreover and this is significant for us, the EEC has created the opportunities for generating prosperity by removing barriers to trade and industrial partnership.
I believe the Communities will go from strength to strength if the contribution of Britain and the other applicants can be added through enlargement.
Changing trade patterns
The second major development in Europe since 1945 which has critically altered Britain's attitude, is the shift in the pattern of our trade. Like you, and like Australia, we have been diversifying our trade very considerably. We are now dependent on our European neighbours, as they are dependent on us, not only for our security, not only for industrial and technological partnership, but also, to an increasingly considerable exent, for our daily bread.
After all today we export twice as much to Western Europe as to the Commonwealth, and, of course, an enlarged Economic Community will cover most of Western Europe. Our trade with the European Communities-which is our largest and fastest growing market-expanded more than two and a half times between 1958-68. But as prospective members we note with interest that trade within the Communities themselves multiplied four times.
Now these are some of the basic facts of history, ancient and modern, which give tremendous impetus to our application to join the Communities. But they are not the only facts. Our ties with you will always be very intimate, and that must mean that you want Britain and the rest of Europe to make a distinctive contribution to the world, including this part of the world.
That is certainly our vision of a united Europe, and we believe it is widely shared within the Communities today.
You must want Britain to develop the resources to play a truly creative role in the world.
I think it is the framework of an enlarged European Community which can offer us and you many exciting opportunities that this can be achieved.
But in seizing these opportunities you can be sure that we shall not cast aside New Zealand.
Document No. 25
ASSESSMENT MADE BY HE SIR ARTHUR GALSWORTHY, BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER IN WELLINGTON, OF THE VISIT OF THE RIGHT HON. GEOFFREY RIPPON, QC, MP, CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER, TO NEW ZEALAND, 17-22 SEPTEMBER, 1970
Mr. Rippon arrived in Auckland on 17 September and spent the next three days visiting farming areas in the North Island (he was joined by Sir Con O'Neill on 19 September). Apart from individual farmers on their farms he met groups of selected farmers and dairy board officials for informal discussions of their problems.
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