Egypt agrees to talk with Israeli Minister in U.S.

Press, 4 August 1977, Page 8

Egypt agrees to talk with Israeli Minister in U.S.

I International |

NZPA-Reuter Alexandria The United States and Egypt have agreed to convene an Arab-Israeli Foreign Ministers meeting in the United States this autumn but have differed on moves to come after any Egypt-Israel peace agreement.

The American Secretary of State (Mr Cyrus Vance) and President Anwar Sadat announced after two days of talks that the autumn meeting would pave the way for the resumption of full-scale peace talks in Geneva. But the semi-official Egyptian newspaper, "Al-Ahram," said yesterday that President Sadat had rejected Mr Vance’s suggestion that Arab] States normalise relations! with Israel immediately after signing a peace agreement and extend both diplomatic and economic ties to the Jewish State. Mr Sadat reacted angrily at a press conference when asked why Egypt was not prepared to accept this. “What you are saying about economic exchange, diplomatic relations, open borders, it shouldn’t be linked as part of the peace,” he said. "No. It has never been done in any treaty between two countries that have been at war together,” he said. “But it can be discussed afterwards.” President Sadat said he

was ready to sign a peace treaty with Israel tomorrow on the lines of an end to belligerency and fulfilment of United Nations Resolution 242 which requires Israel to return to its pre-war boundaries.

“But not by imposing conditions,” he said. “We should be frank. We shouldn’t mix this with the establishment of peace in the area.

"If that is the view of President Carter, okay. But it is not my view,” he added.

The two men implied that the Palestine Liberation Organisation would not attend the autumn meeting between Israel and the Arab confrontation States — Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. Mr Vance can expect an angry reaction from the Palestinians because of this when he visits Beirut and Damascus today. "Al-Ahram” said Mr Vance had stated that the United States accepted a need to have Palestinian representatives in Geneva but

I only after P.L.O. recognition ; of the State of Israel. President Sadat proposed full Palestinian representation at Geneva without conditions. “Al-Ahram” said. “Al-Ahram” said Mr Vance proposed that Israel withdraw to borders that would be the subject of negotiations among the parties from all the occupied Arab territories. The atuumn talks would take place in New York and Washington under American auspices. Egyptian sources said they might last as long as a month. Mr Vance said that the Soviet Foreign Minister (Mr Andrei Gromyko) would be invited to participate in the talks and the United Nations kept informed of the progress in the discussions. The Secretary of State is scheduled to fly to Beirut and after a stay of a few hours to go on to Damascus. Later he will visit Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel and he indicated that he might return to Egypt briefly for further talks with President Sadat at the end of his tour.