Peace-keeping overtures

Press, 10 April 1981, Page 4

Peace-keeping overtures

Defence reporter New Zealand had been approached “informally” about its possible inclusion in a Middle East peacekeeping force, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Taiboys) yesterday. The visit to the Middle East this week of the American Secretary of State (Mr Alexander Haig) has prompted news media speculation about the composition of a-multinational force to keep the peace after Israel’s scheduled withdrawal . from occupied land in Sinai. “Under the Camp David peace treaty signed between Israel and Egypt in March, 1979, Israql is obliged to complete its withdrawal from the Sinai peninsula by April next year. handful pf countries, including NewiZealand, Australia,- Canada, ?the United States, and representatives of : Muslim nations allied to

the West (such as Turkey and Pakistan) have been suggested as .possible participants in a proposed peace-keeping force. New Zealand has had informal- discussions about the proposed force, but Mr Taiboys emphasised that there had been no “cut-and-dried” propositions, nor any formal approaches to the Government. The Secretary of Defence (Mr D. G. B. McLean) was briefed on United States proposals for the; peacekeeping force; during a visit to Washington last month. But, as he said on his return to New. Zealand,: “There is a great deal more to the proposed force than just picking up a gang of men and sending them off to the Sinai." New Zealand has some difficult political decisions io make. “Consideration of partici-

pation in such a force relates to our whole set of relationships with the countries in the area; it also bears heavily on our relationship with the United States, the principal sponsor of the whole exercise,” Mr McLean said. New Zealand has been associated since World War II with several peace-keep-ing efforts, always “under the United Nations umbrella.” Mr Talbdys said that New Zealand would consider it essential that United Nations participation in the proposed Sinai force be “thoroughly explored.” But the degree of support the proposed force can expect from the United Nations is not clear. A significant resolution of the United Rations General Assembly “tits the whole thrust of the peace treaty,” but current sensitivities in

the region are such that some feel the proposal could be vetoed by the Security Council. New Zealand had to undertake a great deal of careful foreign affairs analysis and probing before jumping to any decisions, Mr McLean said. The peace-keeping force is reported to have been one of the most difficult questions Mr Haig discussd with the Egyptian . President (Mr Anwar Sadat) during his brier Middle East tour. The size and composition of the force remains a crucial issue. Israel wants “a strung and effective” force of 4000 men — mostly American ground troops — with atmour and air backing: Egypt is believed to prefer a small force confined to monitoring, comprised mainly of Australians, New Zealanders, ’ and Canadian Muslim representatives.