Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel’s Foreign Minister, arrived here today on the first leg of a visit to the French and Italian capitals to discuss Israel’s long-standing effort to establish an economically viable link with the European Economic Community, of which both France and Italy are members.
Mrs. Meir met the French Foreign Minister, Maurice Couve de Murville, at a dinner tendered in her honor tonight by Israel’s Ambassador to Paris, Walter Eytan, and is scheduled to confer with M. de Murville at the Quai D’Orsay tomorrow. From Paris, she will fly to Rome to talk with Italian Foreign Minister Saragat.
Israel is now facing the “third round” of EEC talks. While negotiations between Israel and the Euromart twice held and twice deemed inconclusive–will not be resumed until spring, the EEC’s Council of Ministers is scheduled to spell out directives for the Israeli talks at its next session. Mrs. Meir’s approach on this issue, on the high Foreign Ministers’ level, is therefore considered important by Israel.
At the Eytan dinner tonight, Mrs. Meir met not only M. de Murville but also the French Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Habib de L’Oncle, as well as the Ministry’s heads of African and Middle East and economic affairs. Israel’s Deputy Defense Minister, Shimon Peres, was also present.
At tomorrow’s session at the Quai D’Orsay, Mrs. Meir and M. de Murville are scheduled to discuss not only EEC affairs but also other matters of mutual interest to both Israel and France.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
