THE PRESS MONDAY, MARCH 31, 1980. Bonn Minister's visit

Press, 31 March 1980, Page 20

THE PRESS MONDAY, MARCH 31, 1980. Bonn Minister's visit

Although Dr- Hans Apel is the Minister of Defence in West Germany, his talks in New Zealand have not been confined to military matters. The visit to New Zealand was part of a tour which included Japan and Australia; his significance to this country has been more as a high-ranking member of the West German Cabinet. He has been a member' of the Bundestag, the Lower House of the West German Parliament, , since 1965. He served as Parliamentary Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, before becoming Minister of Defence in 1978, was the Minister of Finance. He has been spoken of as a future Chancellor. The relationship that has developed between West Germany and New Zealand at an official level is an interesting one. Apart from Britain, New Zealand appears to be closer to West Germany in the / European Economic Community than to any other country. From New Zealand’s point of view, West Germany is an important trading partner, taking $102.4 million worth of exports and supplying $230.3 million worth of imports in the year which ended last June. But at least as significant is the fact that West Germany has fairly consistently supported New Zealand’s case for access for agri- • cultural produce to the E.E.C., even though southern German farmers do very'.well out of the Common Agricultural Policy. Even the West German Minister of Agriculture, Dr Josef Ertl, recently commented.that banning sales of. New Zealand butter would not solve the problem bf dairy surpluses. Such ji. view may be only too apparent to New Zealand, observers of the C.A.P; it is welcome to hear- the point made by someone within the E.E.C, —and a member of the Council, of Agriculture Ministers at that. From West Germany’s point of view the attractions in the relationship must be more complex. One attraction lies in the role that West Germany sees New Zealand and Australia playing in the Pacific. Starting with its wellbased conviciion that, tensions between ■the super-Powers will be felt immediately in West Germany, Bonn approves of anything that New Zealand and Australia can do in.’ the Pacific to stop;. Soviet influence. A second attraction lies in the whole area. After the oil crisis began in 1973 and 1974, West Germany undertook a serious study of ; sources of raw materials and later ;

broadened its relationship with a number of countries. New Zealand is also attractive to West«Gefmany because of the Antarctic, where West Germany has an extensive programme to study fishing resources. New Zealand has lent its support to West Germany’s part in that.

Some interest in investment and in ~ joint, ventures in New Zealand has also been shown by West Germany. On the whole Australia is much more attractive to European investors but the West German interest in New Zealand has 'lasted long enough to show that it is genuine.

Some suspicions have been expressed about West German invest-, ment. While it is possible to argue that all foreign investment is unacceptable —though the holders of such views would seem to have a responsibility to explain how development can be accomplished without it—if some foreign investment and some joint ventures are admitted, West Germany is not a bad choice. Not only does it have a strong currency but it is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. At home, at least, its industrial relations are conducted in a very sophisticated way. Not only industrialists would benefit from a closer relationship with West Germany, which incidentally enjoys one of the highest standards of living-in the-world.

The relationship is not without its problems. A dilemma is caused by the fact that the West Germans are among those most committed to European integration—a point brought out by Dr Apel when he commented on the way in which the integration moves of the C.A:P. hurt New Zealand. There is always a; danger of treating the West German tendency to look at the world in. terms'of defence against the Soviet Union too seriously. On the whole the West Germans handled the crisis over the Soviet . invasion of Afghanistan coolly and sensibly, being determined not to throw away all the progress over detente, but in some West German statements there seems to be a hint that if New Zealand plays a bigger defence, role then there will be more trade access. ' This could lead to a ridiculous and distorting emphasis in .New Zealand. But if that .aspect is handled with common sense, New Zealand stands to benefit from the association and in doing so serve interests which happen to be shared by West Germany.