NQ DATE
M34 8 June 1975
FRENCH ffUCLEAR TUiSTING
The Prime M1inister and Acting Minister for Foreign
,. ffairs, rlr Whitlam, said today that the Government had reason
to believe that France had carried out an underground nuclear
test on Fangataufa atoll in the Pacific Ocean on 6 June.
1" Ir Whitlam said that the Australian Government wished
t; o reiterate its opposition to all forms of nuclear weapons
testing by any state. The Australian Government continued to
urge the nuclear powers to reach agreement on a comprehensive
test ban. At the same time the Australian Government noted that
the French Government was refraining from conducting nuclear
weapons tests in the atmoshpere in the Pacific region. The
Australian Government hoped that the French Government would
continue to refrain from further atmoshperic nuclear tests which
in the past years have given rise to considerable concern in
ikustralia and other countries.
FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTING
3771