Egypt ‘will offer pledges’

Press, 21 August 1978, Page 9

Egypt ‘will offer pledges’

NZPA-Reuter Cairo! Egypt's position paper fori next month’s Middle East! peace summit meeting at Camp David will include security guarantees for Israel,] the semi-official newspaper, “Al Ahram,” has reported. It said that Egypt was] formulating practical propo-] sals that would also guarantee Israel’s withdrawal from] occupied Arab lands and achieve a comprehensive set-] tlement. The draft paper will be; presented to the Camp David summit meeting,' which will bring together President Anwar Sadat, President Jimmy Carter, and the Israeli Prime Minister (Mr Menachem Begin). It is scheduled to start on September 5. “The Egyptian proposals will be based on security guarantees for all the parties; concerned and on the prin-i ciple of allowing the Pales-] tinians to participate in de-i termining their future,” the] paper said. It said that the security arrangements were included in Egypt’s six-point peace project presented during a meeting in Britain last month between the Foreign! Ministers of Egypt, Israel, ! and the United States. The six points called for the return of the West Bank to Jordan and the Gaza; Strip to Egypt for a transi-; tional period not exceeding five years, at the end of] which the Palestinians living: there would be able to determine their own future. Israel rejected the Egyptian proposal and offered limited self-rule for the Palestinians under a continued Israeli military presence. Egypt had refused the Israeli terms. The Egyptian draft will be based on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 which calls for Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab territories, the newspaper said. It will also take into ] account President Carter’s declaration in Aswan, Egypt, !in January, setting down three principles for a Middle East peace settlement. President Carter said that peace must be based on normal relations among the parties concerned, there must be an Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in 1967 and a resolution of the Palestinian problem which would allow them to determine their own future.