15Th Birthday, World Debut,

For Western Samoa

From an Apia correspondent

Three solid days of festivities to mark the 15th birthday of Western Samoa as the first independent Polynesian state, and the visit by the country’s Prime Minister to London for the Commonwealth conference, have been the top recent talking points here.

The independence celebrations began with a formal flag-raising ceremony at the Fono, Parliament, and a speech by the Head of State, His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili 11. He made it clear where Samoa, as it attempted to achieve self-suffi ciency, stood in the world.

He said: “Western Samoa is proud to have joined the United Nations last year. We are a small country and we have no quarrel with anyone.

We have old friends and we are gaining new friends. We have a basic policy of universalism in our foreign relations.

“We see Western Samoa’s place as a member of the Third World. We share the aspirations of the Third World. We have a close affinity with the non-aligned movement.

“We will strive in our relation ships with other nations, large and small alike, to achieve a better world free from wars, tensions and poverty.

“We pledge to work closely with our neighbours in the region and those countries outside the region who extend to us the hand of ge nuine friendship.”

He also pointed to the problems ahead, both political and economic, especially the need to meet the aspirations of the rising generation.

“If leadership fails in this task, these issues will themselves find people to articulate them. The end result might not be as we would want,” His Highness said.

Western Samoa’s Prime Minister, Tupuola Efi, recently returned from the Commonwealth conference in London with new experience, con tacts and knowledge of the major issues facing the world today. It was his first international conference and, as such, he was careful in mak ing any judgments on its worth.

One positive aspect of his London vist was the way in which he was able to sort out a number of issues affecting relationships between his country and New Zealand. The con ference allowed him and the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr Robert Muldoon, to get down to some hard talking, in particular on problems of transport and immigration.

As the Attorney-General, Mr Neroni Slade, who also went to Lon don, pointed out, the conference allowed the Prime Minister to come closer to major world issues. He said it was one thing to read about Africa in the newspapers, but it was another to hear “the great leaders of Africa” talk about the “very human, very important” issues facing them.