Kosygin warns Israel
(N.Z.P A.-Reuter —Copgrisht; MOSCOW, February 2. With a warning to Israel against delaying tactics, the Soviet Prime Minister (Mr Alexei Kosygin) called last night for an early political settlement in the Middle East under United Nations auspices.
His speech at a dinner for a top Syrian delegation emphasised that the Middle East situation was at a crossroads—-with the Suez Canal cease-fire due to expire by Friday. Mr Kosygin, whose speech reaffirmed Soviet pledges of all out support for the Arab States, warned of the danger of international repercussions arising from the pre-, sent state of affairs in the region.
He did not refer directly to the February 5 cease-fire expiry date in excerpts of his speech quoted by Tass news agency last night.
But the emphasis of his cautioning statement was on the pressing need for a political solution under United Nations auspices. This was linked with a warning to Israel that delaying tactics could only make the situation more acute.
“A crucial moment has now come in developments in the Middle East,” the Soviet leader declared.
He stressed again that for Russia the basis for a settlement remained the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Arab territory in accordance with the United Nations resolution of November 22, 1967. Mr Kosygin was addressing a Kremlin dinner for a highlevel Syrian delegation headed by the country’s Prime Minister (General Hafez Assad) which opened talks with Soviet leaders soon after arriving in Moscow yesterday.
The importance Moscow attaches to the talks, which are expected to continue today, was underlined by the presence at the opening round of the entire ruling triumvirate—the Communist party leader, Mr Leonid Brezhnev, President Nikolai Podgomy, and Mr Kosygin—as well as senior Ministers from both sides.
They were officially reported to have discussed increased political and economic co-operation yesterday, and to have covered the Middle East situation in detail.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32521, 3 February 1971, Page 13
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315Kosygin warns Israel Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32521, 3 February 1971, Page 13
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