U.S. suspends treaty tie

Press, 13 August 1986, Page 1

U.S. suspends treaty tie

NZPA staff correspondent San Francisco A United States security commitment to New Zealand that has lasted for 34 years was withdrawn at a historic meeting in San Francisco yesterday. As it has repeatedly warned, the United States decided that because of the New Zealand Government’s nuclear-ship policy It would formally suspend Its security obligations to New Zealand under the A.N.Z.U.S. treaty. . The A.N.Z.U.S. pact,

which was signed in San Francisco in 1951 and took effect the year after, will remain in name but has changed in practical terms. Instead of its being a three-country partnership, the situation that has existed for the last two years will permanently prevail unless there is a change in policy by New Zealand. In that case, Australia and the United States would accept it. back into the fold. After a meeting be-

tween the United States Secretary of State, Mr George Shultz, and the Australian Foreign Minister, Mr Bill Hayden, in San Francisco, A.N.Z.U.S. has been effectively split with Australia the hubAustralia retains its strong defence ties under A.N.Z.U.S. with the United States, and separately, again under A.N.Z.U.S. with New Zealand. In a formal statement at the end of the talks, Australia left no doubt that after trying to steer a

middle course between the United States and New Zealand in the longrunning debate over the future of the treaty, it had come down decisively on the side of the United States. “Both Governments regretted that the continuation of New Zealand’s port and air access policies has caused the disruption of the alliance relationship between the United States and New Zealand,"

Further report, page 2

“They agreed that access for allied ships and aircraft Is essential to the effectiveness of the A.N.Z.U.S. alliance and that New Zealand’s current policies detract from individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack,” it said. "The United States said It could not be expected under these circumstances to carry out its security obligations to New Zealand. “Accordingly, the United States side stated that it is suspending its security obligations to New Zealand under the AN.Z.U.S. treaty pending adequate corrective measures.” The statement continued: “The Australian Government regretted that no

resolution had proved possible of the situation which had developed. "The Australian Government repeated the view it had expressed consistently over the last two years that it disagreed completely with New Zealand policy on port and air access and expressed its understanding of the action which the United States had taken.” The security guarantee which the United States has now withdrawn from New Zealand comes in Article IV of the A.N.Z.U.S. treaty. There the treaty says that each of the parties recognises that an armed attack in the Pacific area on any of the parties “would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common danger in accordance

with its constitutional processes.” A State Department paper last month in relation to that article said that the United States had consistently confirmed it would “fully and promptly fulfil its security commitments under A.N.Z.U.S., by both military and nonmilitary means, as best would meet the threat” Mr Shultz said yesterday that the New Zealand Government’s policies of blocking traditional United States ship-and-air access eroded the principal contribution New Zealand made to A.N.Z.U.S. “Because of New Zealand’s decision to renege on an essential element of its A.N.Z.U.S. participation, it has become impossible for the United'States to sustain its security obligations to New Zealand,” he said. “We sincerely hope that

New Zealand will soon undertake adequate corrective measures which .will restore port and air access and permit a return to alliance co-opera-tion. “New Zealand’s actions can only encourage those who hope to tear at the fabric of Western cooperation. The United States and Australia choose to provide , a different vision; a reaffirmation of the willingness of democratic peoples to make common cause in defence of our principles and way of life.” ' Later, at a news conference, Mr Shultz said New .Zealand had chosen “as it has the right to do” to withdraw itself from the alliance by denying port access. “We are sorry about that I miss New Zealand. “As I said after meeting Mr Lange in Manila a few weeks ago, we part as friends, but we part on security matters.”