PM Transcripts

FOR PRESS: P. M. No. 3016
VISIT BY THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF ISRAEL
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Holt
The Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Government of
Israel, Mr. Abba Eban, will pay an official visit to Australia next month.
Mr. Eban will be accompanied by his wife and by Mr.
David Rivlin, Assistant Director of the British Commonwealth Division
of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Mr. Emanuel Shimoni, Director
of the Bureau of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The Minister and his party arrive in Sydney on Monday,
6th March, and travel on to Canberra the same morning. Later in the
day he will call on the Minister for External Affairs, Mr. Hasluck, who
will give him a dinner party that evening.
On Tuesday, 7th March, the Foreign Minister will have
discussions with the Minister for External Affairs and senior officials
of the Department of External Affairs. At noon he will give a press
conference at the H~ otel Canberra, following which the Government will
hold a luncheon in his honour. During the afternoon, he will call on the
Prime Minister and will also meet the Leader of the Opposition.
The Ambassador of Israel, His Excellency Mr. David
Tesher, will give a reception in the early evening of Tuesday, 7th Maith,
following which the visitors will be entertained at a dinner gven by Their
Excellencies the Governor-General and Lady Casey at Government House.
Mr. Eban and party will leave Australia on Wednesday,
8th March for a short stay in New Zealand. They will return to
Australia on Friday 10th and will spend two days privately with members
of the Jewish community before leaving again for overseas on Sunday, 12th.
The Australian Government looks forward to the visit
by Mr. and Mrs. Eban which is the first official Ministerial visit to
Australia from Israel. Following the visit to Israel by the Minister for
External Affairs, Mr. Hasluck in April, 1966, Mr. Eban's tour will
strengthen still further the many links between the two countries.
CANBERRA, 16th February, 1967.