Clark says Peters' effort 'pretty good'

Prime Minister Helen Clark says new Foreign Minister Winston Peters is putting in "a pretty good effort" at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta.

She and Mr Peters are playing down controversy over his unusual appointment as a minister outside Cabinet, which the prime minister has described as "water under the bridge", National Radio reported today.

Mr Peters' appointment has been criticised at home, and yesterday he said he should be given the opportunity to prove himself in the international arena.

"How about giving Winston Peters a second chance?" he said.

"The idea of belting a guy around before he even gets to start the job is not going to go down big with what I understand to be the fair-minded attitude and mores of New Zealand society."

The Dominion Post also quoted Mr Peters as saying his international counterparts understood his role as a minister outside Cabinet.

He said he had received many messages of congratulations from Commonwealth foreign ministers since arriving.

Helen Clark has used the meeting as an opportunity to attack European countries over their approach to agricultural subsidies, the AP news agency reported.


Mr Peters said he used the meeting to emphasise the need for assistance to vulnerable small states and develop effective international strategies against terrorism.


He also highlighted the vital importance of concluding the Doha round of trade negotiations.


Mr Peters said: "It is clear from my meetings this week that New Zealand's contribution over many years to international organisations like the Commonwealth is held in high regard.


"This was reflected in the support received for our successful candidate for the International Court of Justice (ICJ). I was pleased to note that in the ICJ vote all 53 Commonwealth member countries voted for Sir Kenneth Keith."


Meetings were held with Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, as well as Bangladesh, the Maldives, Pakistan and South Africa.





He said he had briefed Helen Clark on the details.


From Malta Mr Peters travels to the United Kingdom to undertake a bilateral visit and participate in ministerial-level consultations with the European Union Presidency, currently held by the UK.


- NZPA