PM Transcripts

I~ L
FOR PRESS 16 JULY 1978
PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT INDIA
-The...... TePrime Minister ced-.-today that:&-he wouldvisitl-ndia.
in Tanuary.-1979.1 -Mr Fraser-said that at. the Commonwealth Heads ci
of iGovernemnt Regional Veetifig-( CHOGRM): held in , Sydney ' in. Februarthis-
year he had receied aa-l -verbal invitation fo rm* the Indian
t' Prim& Minister,:-Mr'Mora-z . Desia, to attend the Indian-Republic'.-
Day celebrations: on -26 Z,.= nuay. 1979. In -a letter. of._. 8 ay,
Mr-. Desai had. renewed '--s'invitation, to -Mr, Fraser to-ibe a specia-:-...
guest of the Indian iGovernment at the celebrations Mr Fraser 4
had-replied on.-2-June tnfathe was very pleased to accept this
invitation. The Prime Mini-ster-wi : be.: accoipanied: by his wife : and children
Details-of the visit have not yet been finalised,, but it is
expected to last for several days.
Mr,-Fraser recalled * zhvZ iCHOGRM, he and: Mr Desai-had had wide--Jj
-_. ranging and useful d-1;= sions on a number of. mattexa of.
dormon: concern -He zcitad'-forward to -the -opportunity: for a
further . round.: of talk._=-ith--Prime Minister Desai--andr-_ other
* senior Government Mini--szers.-
-i ThetPrime Minister hoter: that Australia: -and-Indi-a shared. the.
same-date for. their res= ctive National . days, -26th-J-anuary, and.-.
his'attendance at the : z. ian-Republic Day Celebrations as a speci-al
guest of the-Indian r= nemnt indicated..-the warmth.. and -depth of:
the relatio ship the -two countries-; Australia ' s relations'
with India-were close ;. rnec would be seeking ways -and initiatives
by-which they might Bt'erae. closer still.., Mr Fraser said that
he-and his family a1z -welcomed the opportunity that this visit....
would afford to -see scamthing of India's,. cultural heritage and
contemporary achieve mts.