A flurry of diplomatic activity took place this weekend as an Israeli-Egyptian interim accord on Sinai appeared to be getting closer. Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger met for nearly two hours yesterday with Israeli Ambassador Simcha Dinitz to receive Israel’s reply to Egypt’s latest proposals, American Ambassador Hermann Eilts was scheduled to discuss the Israeli reply with Egyptian officials in Cairo today, President Ford in an interview refused to deny or confirm reports that U.S. personnel would man the Sinai warning systems, and the State Department asserted that “hard decisions” still have to be made before an agreement is reached.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources reported that two high-ranking Israeli officials may come here this week to being drafting the accord.
Dinitz, after his meeting with Kissinger, refused to discuss what had been said. He also declined to say whether progress had been made toward a settlement. However, he did announce that two teams of Israeli officials will visit Washington this week, one to draft various Middle East settlement proposals and the other to discuss U.S. military economic and military aid.
ISRAELIS TO MEET WITH SISCO
According to the State Department, the Israeli team coming here to work on the accord proposals will meet with Undersecretary of State Joseph J. Sisco on Tuesday and the aid mission will begin meetings with Sisco on Wednesday, Diplomatic sources said the purpose of the Israeli team is to work out the language of what has already been agreed upon by Egypt and Israel and to define what are the areas of disagreement.
Kissinger has reportedly told both sides that he would like an agreement to be reached by September and there have been reports in Jerusalem and Washington he will be returning to the Mideast for his shuttle diplomacy sometime next week. But Kissinger has also said that he would not resume the Jerusalem-Cairo shuttle unless an accord was 80-90 percent achieved before his departure. It was not yet clear whether this point had been reached.
Dinitz also said that Eilts would be presenting the Israeli proposals to Egypt and the American Ambassador was scheduled to arrive in Cairo today from Washington and discuss the Israeli reply with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ismail Fahmy.
Meanwhile, Ford in an interview with news agency reporters, in refusing to confirm or deny that American personnel would be sent to the Sinai to monitor troop movements, promised, “I will certainly be frank and honest with the American people as to any involvement in the negotiating process or any subsequent involvement.” Ford in another interview said he was optimistic about chances for a settlement.
Earlier on Friday, State Department spokesman Robert Anderson said that Egypt and Israel “are making headway” toward a settlement but “hard decisions” still have to be reached.
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