'Boycott will not halt talks’

Press, 28 November 1977, Page 8

'Boycott will not halt talks’

• NZPA Cairo President Anwar Sadat of I Egypt has said in an interiview with an American tele- | vision correspondent that he 'will negotiate with the fsraelis alone if the Arab jStates refuse to accept his i invitation to go to Cairo to lay the groundwork for a Geneva peace conference. In an interview with a National Broadcasting Company correspondent, John Palmer, in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia, President Sadat said after his speech that the Cairo working group was designed to keep [the momentum of the peace lintitiative he began with his jtrip to Jerusalem one week [ago. The Egyptian leader was I asked about the risk inivolved if other Arab States isuch as Syria, failed to iattend the talks.

“Whoever comes here I shall be starting the conference with him,” 1 Mr Sadat said in the interview. “It is for everyone to decide for [himself. If only the Israelis icome I will start the confer-

I ence. ( “Egypt and the Israelis (alone?” he was asked. I “Yes, Yes, like I visited ‘them in Jerusalem, alone.” But Mr Sadat said any i agreement worked out with 1 the Israelis in Cairo or later (in Geneva would be part of .ja whole settlement, “I’m not '(after a separate settlement. “There will be no war after the October war,” Mr ‘ Sadat said. “Except if Israel ' chooses to impose its condi- ■ tions and adopt the old arro- ’ gance policy, and for that I promised the Parliament to return to them and fell them.” He added that, from what (he learned in Jerusalem “The Israelis are ready to sit ( and discuss in a civilised ; way all the problems with- ’ out any conditions. . . Mr Sadat said he proposed j iCairo because it is also part! iof the psychological prob-( Jem. “The Israelis were i never admitted to any place ((in the Arab world. Well. ; they are admitted here. I ‘(have asked them to come as (one party concerned in this ! conflict.”