U.S. oil use to get spotlight at Bonn talks

Press, 15 July 1978, Page 9

U.S. oil use to get spotlight at Bonn talks

NZPA-Reuter Bonn President Carter has I opened talks with r ■ ’’ est i German Chancello: ' lelmut Schmidt) befon st- . ern economic sum > ith clear signs already i ntment by Washington ... criticisms of American '-conomic policy. West German leaders are among those who have criticised the United States for not cutting down oil consumption. They and some other Western nations are expected to underline this theme at the seven-nation ; talks beginning in Bonn ( today. :j As President and Mrs Car- : ter flew in on Thursday for I a two-day State visit preceding the summit, a senior , White House official com- [ plained about recent com- | ments from West Germany, [France, and Japan. i “There is some concern i about attempts in some [ quarters to place the blame [for the economic problems [of the entire Western world land the developing countries :on the shoulders of the ■United States,” he said. West German leaders have I frequently expressed dis- ! appointment at President [ Carter’s failure to push ene r g y-saving measures; [ through Congress. ’ Chancellor Schmidt in a! recent interview called! America’s big oil imports the biggest source of up-; heaval in the world's trade; and payments balances. ; West German leaders have: expressed reluctance to stimulate their economy until the United States reduces its fuel bill and its trade deficit. Presumably aiming to get the President’s visit off to a cordial start, Chancellor Schmidt and his Foreign Minister (Mr Hans-Dietrich Genscher) unexpectedly turned up at the airport to greet the President.

Mr Carter would otherwise simply have been met by the Chief of Protocol. [The official welcome by [President Walter Scheel was being held yesterday morn- ( ing- ! In spite of differences ' over economic policy and a j reported lack of personal warmth in his relations with Mr Schmidt, there is no doubting the popular welcome Mr Carter will get during his “walkabouts” in Bonn, Frankfurt, and West Berlin. West Germans are espe- [ cially pleased about his visit 'to West Berlin as another ! sign of solidarity with the ! city deep inside Communist [East Germany. J The Governing Mayor,- Di- [ etrich Stobbe, has called on [‘‘every’ West Berliner” to j turn out to greet the United j States leader at a time when I the city is marking the thirtieth anniversary of the Berlin airlift. Mr Carter will, make a speech at the memorial to airmen who died bringing vital supplies to the beleaguered city. I He will also answer quesi tions at a town meeting [attended by 1000 citizens. [The Bonn 'Government has rejected protests from East [ 'Germany and Chancellor; [Schmidt’s plans to acconi-[ [pany the American leader to ! [Berlin, which the Commun-: I ists say is not part of the I [Federal Republic. [ After his talks with Mr ! Schmidt — aiso expected to cover East-West relations, [the Middle East and Soviet and Cuban activities in Africa — the President will stroll across the old market square in Bonn and chat with the locals. In another gesture of Western solidarity, he will inspect units of the 220,000strong American fortes in West Germany with Chan-i cellor Schmidt in Wiesbaden; today.