The European Economic Community has welcomed the accord reached between Israel and Lebanon and signed by the two countries today. West Germany’s Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher made that point at a press conference here yesterday following a two-day informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the 10 EEC-member states.
But Genscher, who currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the EEC Council of Ministers, gave no indication of the European reaction to Syria’s rejection of the agreement, which could render it inoperative. There was an understanding here that the European Community will try to exert influence on Damascus to pull Syrian forces out of Lebanon. German sources could not say how the Syrians would be addressed or on what level.
Unless Syria withdraws from Lebanon, the Israelis will not pull out their troops, and the status quo in Lebanon will remain. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned that the EEC Foreign Ministers did not consider lifting the partial sanctions imposed on Israel after its invasion of Lebanon in June, 1982. Sources here have said such a move was possible only after the actual withdrawal of Israeli forces takes place.
Prior to the ministers’ meeting, sources said it was “premature” to speak of lifting the sanctions and there was not even a remote chance to reach the needed consensus to do so at this time. Israeli Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shanir is due in Brussels some time next month for talks with Belgian and EEC officials. Israel’s demand that the sanctions be lifted is expected to be high on the agenda.
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