Egypt’s search for peace ‘genuine’

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33516, 23 April 1974, Page 15

Egypt’s search for peace ‘genuine’

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright)

CAIRO, April 22.

The West German Chancellor (Mr Brandt) will take his search lor better relations with the Arab world a stage further today by meeting the envoys of a number of Arab countries after a morning of talks with President Sadat of Egypt.

The Chancellor, who arrived in Cairo last night, spoke at a dinner the President gave in his honour of turning a new page in West Ger-man-Egyptian relations.

At their first 85-minute meeting they had begun to

find out how co-operation and the establishment of an orderly peace might be brought about, he said. Mr Brandt, who flew to Cairo after visiting Algiers, is the first West German Chancellor to visit Cairo. He will lunch today with Mr Mahmoud Riad, the secre-tary-general of the 20-nation Arab League, and will have

a chance to meet the ambassadors of its member States.

In his speech of welcome last night the Egyptian leader laid special emphasis on his country’s search for peace, saying that it was a genuine goal and not just a tactical manoeuvre.

Mr Sadat, who studied German while detained by the British during the Second World War, made the concluding remarks of his speech in German, emphasising to the Chancellor his commitment to the recapture of occupied land. EUROPE’S ROLE Mr Brandt departed from the prepared text of his speech to tell Mr Sadat that “we will seek within the framework of the existing possibilities to make a contribution to the establishment of peace.” He has said before that West Germany cannot mediate in the Middle East dispute — this was up to the two super-Powers — but the fact that Mr Brandt added these words suggested to some observers that the question of the role of Europe in the Middle East search for peace was raised during the talks. A West German spokesman said that during their 85-minute talk the two leaders discussed the Middle East situation and its implications for European security, the oroposed Arab-Common Market dialogue, and bilateral relations, including industrial co-operation. MEMBERS REFUSE Meanwhile, the Egyptian members of the assembly of the Federation of Arab Republics have refused to go to Libya to attend a meeting there, heralding a further deterioration in EgyptianLibyan relations. The 60 members of the Parliament. comprising Egypt, Libya and Syria, were invited bv the Libyan Government to hold popular and political rallies there similar to those held recently in Syria. The 20 Egyptian members refused to join their Libyan and Syrian colleagues, apparently in protest against the attack last Thursday on the Egyptian military technical college in which 11 people were killed and 27 injured. Although there has been no official accusation of Libya by name, the members’ decision, coupled with that of Egyptian journalists and employees of the Parliament not" to go to Libya, appear to strengthen reports of Libya's suspected involvement.