Oleh/By		:	DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	: 	THE BANQUET HALL, PARLIAMENT HOUSE 
Tarikh/Date 	: 	13/12/82 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	THE OFFICIAL DINNER IN HONOUR OF 
			HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRIME MINISTER 
			OF FRANCE, MR. PIERRE MAUROY 




Your Excellency Mr. Pierre Mauroy, Prime Minister of the Republic of
France; Madame Mauroy; Distinguished Members of the French
Delegation; Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is with great pleasure that I, on behalf of the government and people
of Malaysia, welcome Your Excellency, Madame Mauroy, and the distinguished
members of your delegation to Malaysia. Your visit to Malaysia,
Excellency, is the first ever by a Prime Minister of France. I am
confident that your visit will contribute to the strengthening of the
existing close ties of friendship and cooperation between our two
countries, and foster greater goodwill and understanding between our two
peoples.

2. For a long time, Malaysia and France have shared cordial links. While
France may not be among Malaysia's major trading partners, she has
participated in and contributed to our economic development in the past
and continues to do so presently. I believe there still exists wide scope
for France to involve herself more actively in our economic development,
particularly in the fields of trade and joint-participation in projects
through investment.

3. I am happy to note and to welcome the growing interest that France is
showing towards Malaysia as manifested by this visit of Your Excellency to
our country. Indeed, in May this year, we had the occasion to welcome
Mr. Michel Jobert, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of External
Trade, who had wide-ranging discussions with our side on specific fields
of cooperation. My colleague, Datuk Musa Hitam, the Deputy Prime Minister,
also had the pleasure of meeting and having discussions with Your
Excellency in Paris. These contacts and consultations could only augur
well for our bilateral cooperation both now and for the future.

4. In this connection, let me assure you that in adopting a "Look
East" policy in order to balance foreign influences on our national
development, we are not turning our backs on the West completely. The West
remains an important partner in our development efforts and French
expertise, technology and investment are always welcome.

Your Excellency.

5. We understand that the European Economic Community (EEC) is currently
reviewing its development policy vis-a vis the developing countries with a
view to expanding the Community's economic cooperation with them. This is
in recognition of the fact that such assistance is vital to the economic
recovery of the western world itself. Likewise, we understand that the EEC
perceives that developing countries like Malaysia require assistance in
the field of industrial, technological and trade cooperation, particularly
access to markets. We view this policy review by the EEC as a positive and
timely development in the wake of the existing serious international
economic situation made worse by unprecedented protectionism and
ill-advised monetary and financial policies.

6. It is for this reason that we also learn with regret that France, which
is an important and influential member of the EEC, has of late introduced
a ruling requiring that all customs import-documents be prepared in
French. This is certainly an impediment to a freer flow of trade and
constitutes another form of non-tariff barrier. This new ruling by France
does not appear to be in accord with the policy review being undertaken by
the EEC to develop its economic cooperation with the developing
countries. It comes as a surprise to us that France, which is deeply
committed to the free enterprise system and a free and unhindered
international trade, has introduced this form of indirect
protectionism. Imagine the consternation among French exporters if
Malaysia were to insist that they must use Bahasa Malaysia in all their
documentation.

7. We hope that France would reconsider her decision and in doing so would
use her strong position and influence within the EEC to urge the other
members of the Community to do away with their protectionist policies. The
abandonment of these protectionist measures would go a long way towards
softening the negative impact of the recession on the developing countries
in particular. Until these and other man-made restrictive economic
measures such as market and price manipulations by commodity exchanges
located in developed countries, high interest rates, release of stockpiles
of so-called strategic commodities etc., are removed through the
application of the right decisions by governments concerned, the current
recession cannot but be prolonged to no one's benefit. This can only
exacerbate the international economic situation to the detriment of
worldwide economic development and prosperity.

8. In a world which has learnt to expect no growth or little growth, the
ASEAN region can rightly be proud of its continued economic growth. True
the growth is not as high as in the 70's, but it is still significant
compared to the rest of the world. Consequently we find a great deal of
interest focussed on this region. ASEAN and certainly Malaysia welcomes
this interest. We hope, however, that the interest is not confined to the
market potential of a relatively healthy economy.

9. Malaysia would like to take advantage of its good fortune in order to
get a fair return for the market potential we offer. Trade missions coming
to sell goods here should bring along investors as well. We need
investment in new projects to support our industrialisation programme. We
would also like to gain access for our manufactured products in the
markets presently closed to us.

And, of course, we would like to expand our commodity exports.

10. Lines of credits and soft loans are greatly appreciated. But their
long term effects are not as good as the acquisition of technology and
access to markets. What we would like to see is an offset programme
whereby purchases and contracts are linked with economic reciprocity of
one kind or another.

11. We will not legislate in order to achieve our objective. Nor will we
proclaim a distinct policy. But we do expect our trading partners,
particularly our friends to appreciate our yearning to become a developed
country.

Your Excellency, 

12. As you are aware, the Government of Malaysia gives high priority to
socio-economic development so as to meet the aspirations and expectations
of our people for greater prosperity and higher living standards. A steady
economic growth and a stable socio-political environment require peace and
stability not only within the country but in the region as well. To
achieve this objective of regional peace and stability, Malaysia, together
with her partners in ASEAN, declared their resolve to make Southeast Asia
a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN). Our relations with
countries of the region and beyond are based on the principles of respect
for one another's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,
non-interference in each other's internal affairs and non-use of force or
threat of use of force.

13. We are, therefore, gravely concerned and perturbed at the unresolved
issue of Kampuchea which has been brought about in the first instance by
military intervention and occupation of that country by foreign
forces. The protraction of the situation in Kampuchea continues to pose a
serious threat to regional peace and stability besides encouraging outside
involvement and interference in the region. The international community
has time and again called for and supported a speedy negotiated political
settlement of the issue based on the principles of the ICK Declaration and
other relevant United Nations' Resolutions. The formation of the Coalition
Government of Democratic Kampuchea under the Presidency of His Highness
Prince Norodom Sihanouk is a welcome development towards achieving such a
negotiated political settlement of the Kampuchean issue. Towards this end,
we would urge that France, a country which has historical links with
countries in this region, to contribute positively to the political
solution of the Kampuchean issue.

14. Malaysia and France share similar views and common perceptions on many
global issues. This had enabled us to cooperate effectively in the United
Nations and other international fora and has provided and will continue to
provide a strong foundation for our bilateral relations. Your visit will
further help in strengthening this foundation for our mutual benefit.

15. I would like once again to express our pleasure on this occasion to
welcome you to Malaysia and I hope that your stay in this country, short
though it may be, will both be enjoyable and memorable.

16. Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, May I invite
you to rise and join me in a toast to the good health of His Excellency
the Prime Minister of the Republic of France, and Madame Mauroy and the
good relations between our two countries. Your Excellency, Mr. Prime
Minister, Madame Mauroy, Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and
Gentlemen, May I request you to rise and join me in a toast to His
Excellency, the President of the Republic of France.

To the President.