Australia joins NZ on push over Zimbabwe

New Zealand and Australia foreign ministers have agreed on joint action over sporting and other links with Zimbabawe.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Phil Goff today met with his Australian counterpart Alexander Downer on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Mr Goff had sough support from Australia after New Zealand Cricket confirmed yesterday that the Black Caps would tour Zimbabwe next month.

NZ Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said it was impossible for New Zealand to withdraw from the tour without being hit with a fine of at least US$2 million as well as compensation for lost revenue.

Today the two foreign ministers issued a statement saying the two countries would make joint representations to the International Cricket Council urging rule changes to allow teams to cancel tours to countries where serious human rights abuses were occurring.

The ministers also want to explore with like-minded countries a total ban on all Zimbabwe teams.

They also want the Group of Eight - leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States - to tackle the Zimbabwe issue during their summit at Gleneagles, near Edinburgh next week.

New Zealand and Australia want the United Nations to investigate past and present abuses in Zimbabwe and proposes that President Robert Mugabe be referred to the International Criminal Court.

The ministers added in their joint statement that they would seek support for Zimbabwe to be expelled from the International Monetary Fund and that they would be seeking diplomatic help from South Africa to pressure Zimbabwe to conform with international human rights standards.

- NZPA