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INT
AND THAT IS THE SORT OF REASSURANCE AND EXPLANATION
OBVIOUSLY THAT YOU WILL BE GIVING TO THE LEADERS AT YOUR MEETING
IN OCTOBER?
SIR GEOFFREY: ABSOLUTELY, AND I HOPE THAT THE CONTINUOUSLY
PROMINENT ROLE THAT WE HAVE BEEN PLAYING IN THE SEARCH BETWEEN
EAST AND WEST FOR PROGRESS ON ARMS CONTROL WILL ADD CREDIBILITY
TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.
INT: IN NEW ZEALAND OF COURSE, YOU WILL BE TALKING TO MR LANGE
WHOSE POLICY AGAINST NUCLEAR POWERED OR NUCLEAR ARMED SHIPS HAS
SPLIT THE ANZUS PACT. NEW ZEALAND IN A SENSE IS NOW DETACHED
FROM AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED STATES. DON'T YOU REGARD THIS SIR
GEOFFREY AS AGAIN A RATHER DANGEROUS DESTABLISING DEVELOPMENT IN
THAT AREA?
SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, OBVIOULSY IT IS FOR NEW ZEALAND AND HER
GOVERNMENT TO DETERMINE THEIR OWN POLICY. ON A QUESTION OF THIS
KIND WE WOULD MAKE NO SECRET OF THE FACT THAT WE SHOULD PREFER
THE PREVIOUS ARRANGEMENT TO BE CONTINUING AND WE SHALL OF COURSE
DISCUSS THE QUESTION IN THAT WAY. BUT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO
COMPROMISE ON OUR OWN POLICY POSITION OF NOT CONFIRMING NOR
DENYING THE NUCLEAR STATUS OF OUR NAVAL VESSELS. SO NAVAL VISITS
HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED. I DON'T THINK ONE SHOULD EXAGGERATE THE
CONSEQUENCES OF THAT THOUGH. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO
ZEALAND ALONG WITH AUSTRALIA AND
RECOGNISE AND UNDERLINE THAT NEW
THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE UNITED STATES, SHARE A COMMON INTEREST
IN THE SECURITY OF THE WORLD AND OF PROTECTING IT AGAINST ANY
POSSIBLE THREAT FROM THE SOVIET UNION AND ITS ALLIES.
INT: YOU MENTION THE NEED NOT TO EXAGGERATE SOME OF THESE
FACTORS, DO YOU FEEL SIR GEOFFREY THAT THE RECENT ARRIVAL OF
LIBYAN OFFERS OF AID ON THE SCENE HAS BEEN EXAGGERATED?
AGAIN A SOMEWHAT DISTURBING RESULT?
IS THAT
SIR GEOFFREY: I SHALL CERTAINLY WANT TO DISCUSS THAT.
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