Sadat looks to E.E.C. initiative

Press, 11 February 1981, Page 9

Sadat looks to E.E.C. initiative

NZPA-Reuter Luxemburg The Egyptian President (Mr Anwar Sadat), looking for closer ties with the European Common Market during two days of talks with E.E.C. officials in Luxemburg, will address the European Parliament today. A communique issued by the Egyptian Emoassy when the President arrived yesterday said his visit presaged a period of increasingly close relations between Egypt and the 10-member Community. It said that this growing convergence of interests would be particularly notable “in the establishment of peace in the Middle East” The E.E.C. launched a Middle East peace initiative ac a summit meeting in Venice last June, calling for the first time for the Palestine Liberation Organisation to be associated with any peace negotiations in the area. The P.L.O. rejects the Camp David peace process agreed on oy Israel and Egypt in 1978. But with the Camp David, process stalled; Mr Sadat has., welcomed the E.E.C. initiative. In Cairtjjg; the Egyptian Foreign Ministry undersecretary (Mr. Osama Baz) told NZPA-Reuter yesterday

that Mr Sadat would spell out Egypt’s increased interest i.n the E.E.C. initiative, but would also emphasise that he was not prepared to make substantive, changes in the United States - sponsored Camp David accord. Before the speech, Mr Sadat will meet the president of the E.E.C. commission (Mr Gaston Ihorn). Mr Thom visited the Middle East as the Community’s envoy after the launching of the initiative last year. A Luxemburg Government spokesman said that Mr Sadat was no longer due to meet the Dutch Foreign Minister (Mr Christoph van dec Klaauw), current, president of the E.E.C. Council of Ministers. But Dutch Government sources said the two might meet later, before Mr Sadat’s departure for Paris. Last month, E.E.C. Foreign Ministers decided to send Mr van der Klaauw on a series of visits to the Middle East in pursuit of the Community initiative. Officials at the 434-member European Assembly, , directly elected for the first time in 1979, said 'Mr Sadat’s speech would be an important stride in the Assembly’s quest for international recognition.