U.S. works to get M.E. talks restarted

Press, 27 January 1978, Page 5

U.S. works to get M.E. talks restarted

NZPA-Reuter Cairo President Anwar Sadat has exchanged messages with President Jimmy Carter on a ideclaration of principles for a Middle East peace settlement. but he has declined to; reveal the details. Mr Sadat told reporters he l [did not obje t if. at the present stage of peace efforts. ial the sides involved were; quietly re-evaluating their' ; policies. He said contacts were taking place between Egypt, the United States, and Israel to oven ome obstacles to agreement on the declaration ofi principle. An American Assistant; Secretary of State. Mr Alfred Atherton, would come to Cairo from Jerusalem within! (days for talks with the; [Egyptian Foreign Minister j (Mr Mohammed Ibrahi iKamel), he said. | The semi-official news-; (paper, “Al-Ahram." said that iMr Sadat’s message to Mr Carter explained Egypt’s! views on two key issues—the l (rights of the Palestinians and [tl.e future of Israeli settle-; iments in occupied Arab territories. Mr Sadat recalled Egypt’s (delegation from political! [peace talks with Israel in, Jerusalem a week ago in pro- 1

i test against what he described as Israel’s intransi- ; gence. This led to angry exchanges between the two sides. The Egyptian press [has now scaled down its butter attacks on the Israeli ■ Prime Minister (Mr Mena (chern Begin). The Cairo paper. "Al Akh[bar.” did, however, accuse Mr Begin yesterday of failing [to provide a suitably quiet [atmosphere for peace negotiations. Commenting on a United (States television interview in which Mr Begin blamed i Egyptian Foreign Ministry 'officials for the breakdown of [the Jerusalem talks, "AlAkhbar" said: “Once again Mr Begin does not want to (quieten down. He only wants to express his irritation with peace moves." "Al-Akhbar” said Mr Begin wanted to give the impression that Egypt had called off the Jerusalem talks under piessure from the (hard-line Arab States “But we tell Mr Begin he is dreaming because the man (Mr Sadat) who launched the historic peace initiative, iis a brave one and not the [man who submits to the pressure of the rejectionist States [or the pressures of Mr Begin.”