Rocket decision backed

Press, 27 November 1982, Page 8

Rocket decision backed

NZPA Bonn The West German Chancellor,- Dr Helmut Kohl, strongly defended N.A.T.O. nuclear arms policy yesterday in his first foreign policy statement to the - Federal Parliament since taking office last month. ■’ Reporting on his talks with leaders of the United States, France, Britain, and Italy, Dr Kohl said that the most pressing challenge was to restore the balance in medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe.. He reaffirmed that West Germany would deploy American cruise and Pershing 2 missiles from late next

year unless the Soviet Union agreed by then to remove its SS2O missiles. “The medium-range nuclear missiles are the most immediate problem of our security policy,” he said., “Those who really want the removal of Soviet SS2O missiles and want to prevent the equivalent rearmament in Europe must support the policy, of the (N.A.T.0.) double decision.” Diplomats said that the statement had shown an almost total continuity on foreign policy between Dr Kohl’s conservative-led Government and its Left-Liberal predecessors. . ■ . -

Dr Kohl made it clear that West Germany would not deploy more American missiles than foreseen in the N.A.T.O. decision, taken in 1979. He appeared to be referring to recent reports that the United States had asked Bonn to deploy secretly more ; than its allotted 108 Pershing 2 missiles earlier than planned next year. The conservative "Frankfurter Allgefneine Zeitung,” which is close to the new Government, reported this month that the United States; military had wanted to deploy twice as many Pershing 2 rgissiles, without telling the