P.M. reminds French of war-debt to N.Z.

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34130, 17 April 1976, Page 16

P.M. reminds French of war-debt to N.Z.

i From DAVID BARBER, N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent)

PARIS, April 16.

The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) arrived in Paris tonight and immediately carried out his pre-election pledge to remind the French that New Zealanders had fought for them in two wars.

In a significant gesture soon after arriving from London, he delivered a two-minute speech entirely in French at a dinner hosted by his* ooposite number (Mr Chirac).

"Our young men fought alongside the French in the Great War (my father was w-ith them) and in the Second World War when New Zealanders fought alongside French forces in the Pacific.” he said. "I myself served in New Caledonia.” Before the General Election. in the light of continued French opposition to satisfactory Common Market trading arrangements for New Zealand, Mr Muldoon pledged to go to Paris and “remind the French people that New Zealanders had fought and died on their behalf.”

New Zealand was traditionally linked to the old Europe, he said tonight, adding: “We are just as anxious to keep those bonds as we are to consolidate our trade relations with the new Europe of the Community.” And in a reference to the continuing debate within the E.E.C. about future arrangements for New Zealand, Mr Muldoon said: “I hope that this good relationship will continue to develop.” Mr Muldoon was at pains

to say that France occupied a special position in the world and was important for New Zealand. “I wanted to] pay tribute to our South Pacific neighbour on the occasion of my first visit abroad as Prime Minister.” Tomorrow, he will lay a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe before having talks with President Giscard d'Estaing.

A buoyant Mr Muldoon left London delighted with what he sees as the unqualified success of the opening stage of his first overseas tour as Prime Minister. “It went far better than I thought it would.” he said before flying to Paris where he hopes to establish the same rapport with President Giscard that he apparently made with the new British Prime Minister (Mr Callaghan).

Mr Muldoon is pinning his hopes for New Zealand’s! future relations with the) E.E.C. on these man-to-man relationships with the two, European leaders, whom he had met previously’ in their roles as Finance Ministers of their countries. With Mr Callaghan (who has been in office only eight days) the New Zealand Prime Minister said he had established “the closest personal ties.” He went so far as to describe him as “perhaps an even more enthusiastic proNew Zealander” than his pre-

decessor, Mr Harold Wilsoi

Mr Callaghan was un-i equivocal in his promise of' continued British backing for; New Zealand’s efforts to get; and maintain a fair deal from 1 the Common Market, Mr Muldoon said.

And although Mr Callaghan publicly chided him, saying that “New Zealand doesn't always do as badly as it likes to make out,” there was no absence of warmth at a gala dinner at New Zealand House on Wednesday night that brought the visit to a fitting climax.

Before leaving London Mr Muldoon floated the idea that New Zealand should have a long term agreement on food experts to the E.E.C.—an idea that he sees removing the contentious and politically sensitive New Zealand issue from Common Market forums for long periods at a time.

There was no substantive discussion with Mr Callaghan, but the British leader* did not offer “any adverse reaction,” Mr Muldoon said. The New Zealand Prime Minister will now take it up with the French who have been more “prickly” than most of the E.E.C. members in their attitude towards New Zealand’s access to the European market.

Mr Muldoon may not get a positive response from the French leaders at this stage,

but he is sure that President Giscard wants to sell more to New Zealand and he is prepared to offer him that possibility—in return for a more stable arrangement for New Zealand.

Apart from his talks with President Giscard and Mr Chirac — who as a former Agriculture Minister may be the tougher of the two—discussions with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (0.E.C.D.) will feature in Mr Muldoon’s Paris visit. It is known that the O.E.C.D. is worried about Mr Muldoon’s import deposit scheme and the prospect of it spreading to others in the 24-nation organisation. But Mr Muldoon has his case ready. Many multilateral agencies pay lip service to free trade while maintaining restrictions which affect what New Zealand sells, he will say.

If more countries—especially those in Europe—were prepared to move a little more closely to the principle of free trade, thus allowing New Zealand to sell more of its primary produce, it would not need to adopt things like import deposit schemes.

The levies the Common Market imposes on New Zealand butter, cheese, and lamb are an example, he will say. The Community’s restrictions on beef imports are another.