[exettybele]

07-03-2012 14:23 BJT Xinhua

U.S. Bans NZ Navy Ships From Entering Pearl Harbor

WELLINGTON -- The New Zealand government Tuesday was playing down a U.S. refusal to allow two New Zealand
navy vessels entry to the military port at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The New Zealand vessels are the only ships out of 42 vessels from 11 of the 22 countries taking part in the world's biggest
maritime military exercise, Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), which have been excluded from docking in Pearl Harbor.

Instead, HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Endeavour were reported to be tied up alongside the tourist ships at Honolulu port.



New Zealand is taking part in RIMPAC for the first time in 28 years and the government has stressed that the port ban will
not affect the navy's role in the exercise, which would be held out at sea.

Military relations between the United States and New Zealand went into a long chill from 1985 after New Zealand introduced
a ban on nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed vessels in its waters, and the U.S. refused to confirm or deny whether its
vessels were carrying nuclear weapons.

That year New Zealand denied port access to an American destroyer because the U.S. military would neither confirm nor deny
that the ship was nuclear armed.

In response, the United States ended most bilateral military activities with New Zealand until U.S. Navy ships were readmitted
to New Zealand ports.

The U.S. Stars and Stripes newspaper quoted Pentagon spokeswoman Army Major Cathy Wilkinson as saying last week, "We
continue to partner within existing limitations, which include not allowing New Zealand Navy ships to visit U.S. military ports.