Elder statesman Schmidt criticizes German arms exports

May 5, 2009, 15:34 GMT

Berlin - German elder statesman Helmut Schmidt, 90, voiced disquiet Tuesday at the rising level of German arms exports.

He was responding to a report last week by SIPRI, the Swedish peace research institute, showing German exports of submarines, armour and guns made it the world's third-largest arms merchant.

Speaking to the Social Democratic caucus in Berlin, the former chancellor and defence minister said he disapproved.

'Somewhat more self-restraint seems to me to be very much needed,' he said. Schmidt called for world treaties to limit arms exports, saying there was a danger in a world recession that governments would try to create jobs with armaments programmes.

A dangerous 'anti-recession programme of re-armament' had happened in the 1930s, he said.

SIPRI said German arms exports have risen by 70 per cent in the space of five years. Over five years, the exports had a total value of 11.5 billion dollars.

Comparing the 2004-2009 period to 1998-2003, arms exports to other European nations had more than doubled. The market shares of the main export nations had been United States, 31 per cent, Russia, 25 per cent and Germany, 10 per cent.