STOLTENBERG SAYS CRITICISM NOT "ONE-WAY STREET"
Finance Minister Gerhard Stoltenberg said he
was surprised by recent criticism of West German economic
policies voiced by U.S. Treasury Secretary James Baker but
added that the criticism was not purely one-sided.
    Stoltenberg told the West German Trade and Industry
Association (DIHT) that before a meeting with Baker on Monday,
"There had been surprising notes of criticism (from the United
States)." He added. "Criticism is not a one-way street."
    He did not elaborate, but Bonn has often called on the U.S.
To reduce its federal budget deficit.
    Over the weekend Baker had criticised West German economic
policies, saying that rises in domestic interest rates here
were not in the spirit of last February's Louvre pact to
stabilise currencies.
    Stoltenberg told the DIHT that his meeting on Monday with
Baker had resolved differences between the two countries.
    At a news conference earlier on Tuesday Stoltenberg had
declined to comment specifically on Baker's criticisms, but he
had said that after three hours of discussions on Monday, "one
remark or another has been clarified."
 Reuter
