Golan Heights fighting as Gromyko and Kissinger talk

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33452, 6 February 1974, Page 11

Golan Heights fighting as Gromyko and Kissinger talk

\\ \SI II .XG I'chnmn 5. The Soviet Foreign Minister (Mr \ndrei Gromyko l will cooler with the Secretary of State (Dr Henry Kissinger) again today amid new reports ol tierce lank and artillery battles on the < lolan I leights. The United States State Department said yesterday, a- Di Ktssingei and Mi Gromyko met privately to discuss the Middle East, that there were no plans for Dr Kissinger to resume his peace pilgrimages to the region.

Dr Kissinger told reporters that yesterday's discussions were largely concerned with Soviet-American relations. But Syrian claims last night of scoring heavy losses against Israeli forces may prompt him and Mr Gromyko to focus their attention on the Middle East today. Syria said last night that it had destroyed an Israeli gun battery and six Israeli tanks in lighting that began in the central sector and later spread to the entire Golan Heights front. Israel gave no casualty estimates.

Geneva talks

The United States and the Soviet. Union are co-chairmen of the Geneva Middle East peace talks, which have been' [largely idle since they opened on December 21. The Geneva talks were bypassed in their first task by (Dr Kissinger, who shuttled front Israel to Egypt six times to secure the disengagement of troops on the Suez Canal front. The Soviet Union was left out of this activity. Mr Gromyko refused to say .yesterday whether he and Dr ' Kissinger had discussed howto secure a disengagement of , Syrian and Israeli troops. '■ And in response to [ rumours, a State Department (spokesman, Mr George Vest, ■ said that he was not aware [that another Kissinger trip I to the Middle East was being

discussed as a way of bringing about a disengagement on Israel’s northern front.

Nixon* trip

Mr Gromyko later mot President Nixon and discussed with him Mr Nixon’s projected trip to the Soviet Union this year. The White House spokesman, Mr Gerald Warren, could not say whether the liming of the visit had been worked out. Mr Nixon visited the Soviet Union in May, 1972, and was host to the Soviet Communist Party Leader. Mr Leonid Brezhnev, in Washington last June. His forthcoming visit to the Soviet Union has been linked with an agree- ■ ment on the second phase of (strategic weapons talks between the two countries. The S.A.L.T. negotiations ■ will resume in Geneva this month, the United States being expected to submit a draft agreement. Mr Nixon and Mr Gromyko also discussed the Middle East. European security and Soviet-American relations, Mr Warren said.

Tension high

Tension remains high on , > the northern cease-fire line! (as Israeli convoys stream ' . back into Sinai on schedule., : under the Egyptian-Israeli j > disengagement agreement. ( ; Two Israeli soldiers were j injured in intermittent I firing lasting for more than 1 two and a half hours yester- . day. Israeli military sources ( have said that Syrian viola-!, tions of the cease-fire would , be met by immediate and . strong return fire. But both sides have been,, careful to prevent clashes { escalating. ' Observers say that the[j ’[Syrians are repeatedly violat-;, ling rhe cease-fire to hasten , the opening of negotiations, j Israel has, however, always | [stressed that it will not start ( [talks with Syria before a j 'complete list of Israeli war , [prisoners is handed over by t the Syrians and Red Cross '(officials are allowed to visit I ’them. i

Egypt’s condition

Egypt reiterated today that | [it would not attend the , ■ Middle East peace confer- , ence in Geneva unless a dis- j 'engagement agreement was ( reached between Israel and j I [Syria. Mr Robert McNamara, ( (chairman of the World a ■Bank, is due in Cairo before i [the end of the month for f talks with Egyptian officials c ion the bank’s possible par- < (tiejpation in Egyptian Suez Canal development and re- r construction projects. c The American Chase Man- i

hattan Bank i> reported to hate offered Egypt a medium term loan of sBom (about 5NZ53.6 million) to finance development projects of the country', own choice. Mr David Rock feller, the bank's head, saw President Sadat on Sunday “Al Ahram also reported

i that an agreement .tad been a leached between Egypt, i Saudi Arabia. Sudan. Kuwai' i Abu Dhabi. tjatai and - Alget ta <m raising capital t s a >NZ67 million Arab tn vestment coinpans which v would finance major Arab industrial and agricult in • I, projects