Giscard, on German trip, talks up European clout

President Valery Giscard d'Estaing began the first state visit to West Germany by a French leader in 18 years Monday with an expression of his determination to increase European influence in world affairs. his remark that "we have lived through the stage of reconciliation" and "now we must undertake common action to restore to Europe its influence in the world" was expected to set the tone of the five-day trip throughout West Germany.

During a private meeting, Mr. Giscard d'Estaing and Chancellor Helmut Schmidt agreed on the importance of modernizing Western nuclear defenses and on the threat of growing Soviet nuclear power, French officials said.