The West German Government is cool to Israel’s desire for the establishment of a link with the European Common Market, diplomatic sources here revealed today. Germany is one of the six members of the European Economic Community, parent of the Euromart. The other members are France, Italy, and the Benelux countries, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Instead of favoring an Israeli-Euromart link, diplomats said, Germany holds the view that Israel should initiate bilateral negotiations concerning its trade problems with the individual governments represented in the EEC. On the other hand, it was noted here, West Germany is conducting broad trade and foreign aid talks with Egypt and with at least one Arab country, Jordan. Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Hasim Seiba, arrived here today for a brief official visit. Several Egyptian local government officials also arrived.
While the Bonn Government is not expected to rush into a trade agreement with Egypt before consulting its allies, especially the United States, serious consideration is being given here to the possibility of starting formal trade negotiations between Germany and Egypt. German officials are talking about the need for economic negotiations with Egypt in view of what they see as “Egypt’s predominant position in the Arab world and in the near East.”
One series of talks is now under way here regarding Germany’s pledge of last year to provide aid valued at 650,000,000 Deutschmarks (about $165,000,000) for the developments in Syria. Since Syria broke away from the United Arab Republic, Germany is now discussing with Egypt the manner of modifying that agreement.
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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.
