EMBARGO: 6.00 P. M.
*\ AUST RALI A PRESS STATEMENT NO. 56
1 March 1973
VISIT BY TUN DR. ISMAIL
The Malaysian and Australian Governments announced jointly
today that Tun Haji Dr. Ismail bin Dato Haji Abdul Rahman, S. S. M.,
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs
and Minister of Trade and Industry, will visit Australia-from 11
to 18 March 1973 at the invitation of the Australian Government.
While in Australia Tun Dr. Ismail will be visiting Canberra,
Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart and Armidale.

PRESS STATEMENT NO. 57
1 March 1973
PRIME MINISTER'S MEETING WITH PREMIERS OF N. S. W.,
VICTORIA AND SOUTH
AUSTRALIA
The Prime Minister, Mr. Whitlam, will meet with the Premiers
of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia in Canberra at
10.00 a. m. tomorrow ( Friday, 2 March) to discuss the problemas
of the River Murray basin.
Mr. Whitlam said today that the discussions would place
particular emphasis on water quality and the role of the River
Murray Commission in dealing with basin problems.

NQ DATE
M/ 46 26 February 1973
IANDROVERS FOR BANGLADESH
Australia proposes to provide 190 Landrovers to
Bangladesh under the Australian Aid Programme, the Minister
for Foreign Affairs, Mr Whitlam, announced today.
" Bangladesh's transnort resources, damaged extensively
during the war, are still being rehabilitated and the Bangladesh
Government urgently needs vehicles for a wide variety of purposes,
" The Landrovers will be supplied during 1973 and 1974
and at least half of these are exnected to be available for
delivery by June this year.

NQ DATE
M4/ 45 26 February 1973
EMBARGOED for release until
1800 hours Canberra time,
Monday 26 February ' 973.
AUSTRALTIS RELATIONS WITH
NORTH VIET-NAM
I. The Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Mr Whitlam, announced today that Australia and t-he Democratic
Renublic of Viet-Nam bad agreed to establish diplomatic relations.
The following is the text of the joint communique agreed
between the two Governments:-
" Desiring to develop friendly relations between
their two peoples, the Government of Australia

3" II A1.1 A d PRESS STATEMENT
February 1973
PAPUA NEW GUINEA-INDONESIA
My visit to Papua New Guinea and Indonesia has achieved two
purposes. It has enabled me to renew my close personal contacts
with the leaders of Australia's nearest neighbours. It has
enabled me, for the first time since the election of the new
Government, to explain personally the new policies and directions
my Government will follow in its international relations, and to
hear the views of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea on issues of mutual

NQ DATE
M/ 44 23 February 1973
ACTING MINISTER CONTTENTS ON
LO0 OF LIBYAN AIRCRAFT
Commenting on renorts of the shooting down of a
Libyan airliner over Sinai on 21 February, the Acting
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Willesee, said today
that the Australian Government denlored the loss of life.
It w-s greatly to be honed that this escalation
of tension in the Middle East would not lead to further
hostilities, he said.
Senator Willesee said that, on behalf of the
Government, he wished to extend his deepest symoathy to

NQ DATE
M/ 43 23 February 1973
AUSTRALIAN/ INDONE9IAN JOINT COMMUNIQUE
The following is the text of the joint communique
S issued at the conclusion of the Prime Minister's discussions
with President Soeharto in Indonesia:
" The Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable E. G.
Whitlam, visited Indonesia from 20 to 25 February at
the invitation of His Excellency President Soeharto.
Mr hitlam's visit soon after assuming office as Prime
Minister reflected his Government's announced intention to give

A
NQ DATE
M/ 41 23 February 1973
AUSTRALIAN CONTRIBUTION TO A. IAN CENTRE
Australia. is to contribute the equivalent of $ US24,000
annually over a neriod of five years towards the establishment of
the Asian Centre for Development Administration in Kuala Lumpur.
Announcing this today, the Acting Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Senator Willesee, said that the centre would undertake
S high level training and research to help meet the needs for
qualified administrators of developing countries in the ECAFE

AF-A-S
NQ DATE
M/ 42. 22 Febr~ uary 1971
PRIfBMI r! rFi Arm2. m3mTw) Il A PA IAr. TANT
Fol~ lowing is the text of an addreos by the Prine Minister
and Minister for Foreign Afffair Mr kWhitlam, to the Dowan
Peri-. alciinn ) P,. kYat TRenxiblik Tndoncoia ( Ind-o7nc~ tia Parliament) in
O Jakarta today. The speech was delivered at about 1600 hours
Canberra time. I am ro-Loundly moved by th-e honnur yo) u ' have dlone me,
and through me, m-y Government and nation in inviting me to address
you. When a little over t.! o months . ao I became Prime

PRIME MIINISTER'S PRESS CONFERENCE
AT JAKARTA
THURSDAY 22ND FEBRUARY 1973
Ladies and gentlemen: The Prime Minister will make some
introductory remarks and then you can ask questions.
PRIME MINISTER: Ladies and gentlemen I am told you haven't yet
got a copy of the communique. The delay is to add a passage
following tne discussions that I had this afternoon with
SriSultan Hamencku Buwonolx and the other ministers involved in
economic affairs so I don't know if you want to wait unt ' il you