N.Z. viewed with ‘sympathy’ by Indians

Press, 14 October 1985, Page 41

N.Z. viewed with ‘sympathy’ by Indians

PA Wellington India views the problems New Zealand is having with the United States over A.N.Z.U.S. with a great deal of sympathy, says Sir Edmund Hillary. Indians regarded the Rainbow Warrior affair as “almost a huge joke” and an incident that had been “incredibly badly handled by the French.” In recent months both the A.N.Z.U.S. and Rainbow Warrior topics had brought front-page coverage for New Zealand in India’s 12 English language daily newspapers, said Sir Edmund, New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India. Relations between New Zealand and India were at a high point, evidenced also by a considerable increase in trade. Sir Edmund said India certainly viewed the “little problems we are having with the United States with a great deal of sympathy because, I think, they are very strong on a nuclearfree Indian Ocean. So I

think they have some sympathies for the New Zealand view.”

“Also . . . it’s a little tiny country (New Zealand) battling to some extent with a giant country, and as they have had their problems in the past with the United States this certainly appeals to them.”

Asked how New Zealand might take advantage of its higher profile in India, Sir Edmund said that it could broaden opportunities and would eventually trade vigorously with India. It was estimated that there were 100 million “scooter bike middle-class” Indians with good houses, flush toilets and television sets who were a potential large market for New Zealand.

Sir Edmund said the important thing to him was that India was enormously influential in the Third World; politically very powerful. It had close ties with the Soviet Union and improving relations with the United States.