Talks on Sinai Force

Press, 31 March 1981, Page 8

Talks on Sinai Force

NZPA-Reuter Jerusalem Israel and the United States were to begin a new round of talks today on setting up a peace-keeping force in Sinai after Israel pulls out of the peninsula next year.

The American, DeputyAssistant Secretary of State (Mr Michael Sterner) said.he hoped to prepare the ground so that the Secretary of State (Mr Alexander Haig) could make progress on the force when he went to the Middle East next week, Israeli Foreign Ministry sources said.-

But a big gap remained between the Israeli and Egyptian positions. Egypt wanted a force of about 4000 men while Israel wanted fewer. The Foreign Ministry sources . said there

were indications that the United States favoured the bigger force and would be prepared to supply a large number of soldiers.

The two agreed to establish the force in their Camp David peace treaty signed in March, 1979. and it will enter the Sinai after Israel completes, its withdrawal by April next year. An Egyptian bid to enlist the support of Scandinavian countries to take part in the force has met little success. Denmark, Norway and Finland have said they will not take part unless the force is under United Nations auspices. After Mr Sterner ended two days of talks in Cairo on the issue, the United States and Egypt said yesterday that the United Nations was

being approached to form the multinational force despite a possible Soviet veto, of the plan.

The Israelis are anxious to reach an agreement as quickly as possible and the sources said that to give Mr Haig a success on his first Middle East visit could cement Israel's relations with the United States Administration.

The Israeli Deputy Defence Minister (Mr Mordechai Zipori), who returned from a visit to the United States at the week-end, said the new Administration was more favourably inclined towards Israel than its predecessor.

"The Administration is like a new breeze. They are going to assist us in all of our needs.” he said.