Waldheim sees new attitude

Press, 18 February 1977, Page 5

Waldheim sees new attitude

N7PA-Reuter Vienna The United Nations I Secretary-general (Dr Kurt i Waldheim) summing up his | tour of the Middle East and : Cyprus, said yesterday that 'there was “a new political I climate in the area.” : Dr Waldheim, on a five-day ' official visit to his native I Austria, told a press confer'ence that the Arab States and Israel had shown “a (serious will to resume the negotiating process.” But he said wide gaps would have to be closed over the status of the Palestine Liberation Organisation I 'fore a resumption of the Geneva Middle East conference. Dr Waldheim said the ; Israeli Government had I shown no softening in its ! refusal to admit the P.L.O. Ito the conference, despite a “more flexible approach” by | the Palestinians to their demands for a separate State.

I He was referring to his | discussions in Damascus I with the P.L.O. leader, Mr i Yasser Arafat, who indicated that the Palestinians might (accept a “mini-State” comprising the Israeli-occupied West Bank area of Jordan and the Gaza Strip. But Israel insists that the P.L.O. has not formally agreed to amend its charter, which demands a secular State over the whole of the former British-mandate territory of Palestine, including the present Jewish State. In Beirut, the French Foreign Minister (Mr Louis de Guiringaud) has begun formal talks with Lebanese leaders on ways of ending the Arab-Israeli conflict. Mr d. Guiringaud arrived in Beirut at the start of a tour of four Arab countries — Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt — aimed at establishing what role France can play in securing a Middle East settlement.