Britain And U.A.R. Resume Relations

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29068, 3 December 1959, Page 7

Britain And U.A.R. Resume Relations

(N.Z. Press the British Charge d’Affaires

LONDON, December 1. The British Foreign Office today announced agreement between Britain and the United Arab Republic to resume diplomatic relations at charges d’affaires level. A statement issued today said: “The Governments of the United Arab Republic and the United Kingdom have agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations at the level of charges d’affaires.” Relations between London and Cairo have been severed since Egypt broke relations with Britain three years and one month ago on November 1, 1956. Officials in London said today

in Cairo would be Mr Colin Crowe, present head of the British Property Commission to the U.A.R. In Cairo, an official communique said Mr Kamal Khalil had been appointed U.A.R. Charge d’Affaires in London. After several attempts to settle claims and counter-claims arising out of the Suez campaign, a British mission arrived in Cairo on January 10 this year, and a financial agreement was signed there on February 28. Under this agreement British property in Egypt, sequestrated after the outbreak of the Suez fighting, was gradually returned to its owners. On March 23, Egypt announced that visas would be issued to British subjects, who were thus

no longer considered enemy aliens. Laughter and ironical cheers from the Labour benches greeted Mr Selwyn Lloyd, when he announced the resumption of diplomatic relations to the House of Commons. (Labour had attacked the Anglo-French landings at Suez.)

Mr Aneurin Bevan, Labour’s spokesman on foreign affairs, said the Opposition was very glad diplomatic relations had been established “even in this modest way.” But amid Labour cheers he asked for a “balance sheet” of the gains and losses of the Suez affair. Mr Bevan said: “Is it not desirable that all the facts should now be known so that people of Great Britain can appreciate what

price they have had to pay for the barbaric folly of the Conservative Party?” Mr Lloyd replied: “We have heard all that from Mr Bevan before. We had better look to the future.”