Treaty stalled

Press, 16 June 1982, Page 8

Treaty stalled

NZPA-Reuter Washington The American Secretary ol State (Mr Alexander Haig) said yesterday that the United States had been assured that Israeli forces besieging Beirut would not occupy it. But Mr Haig and the Egyptian Foreign Minister (Mr Kamal Hassan Ali) said after nearly three hours of talks yesterday that Israel's thrust into Lebanon had set back the Camp David peace process. “We have been assured that Israel has no intention of occupying Beirut.. We would anticipate that they would . not occupy Beirut," Mr Haig told reporters. “With the situation in Lebanon and the associated uncertainty there, until the situation clarifies it would be difficult to go on with the peace process." . Mr Ali said that the peace process was a fact,, “but I think some time has to pass before overcoming the difficulties which arose in the past month:” Their remarks underscored

that Israel’s attack had dealt a serious blow to the search for a lasting Middle East peace within the framework established by the 1979 Camp David peate accords between Egypt, Israel and the United States. The Reagan Administration had been trying to achieve a prompt resumption of the talks aimed at giving autonomy to the 1.3 million Palestinians on the Israelioccupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. The talks, which have been stalled for most of the time President Ronald Reagan has been in office, are the next remaining hurdle that must be cleared under the Camp David process. Mr Ali is due .to meet Mr Reagan tomorrow. Diplomatic sources said that Cairo’s main goal was to convince Washington that the Israeli invasion has endangered the Camp David process. Egypt, wants a cease-fire and .Israeli withdrawal including, as a ’ first step, a pull-back from around Beirut, the sources said.