Egyptian Premier Gen. Mohammed Naguib yesterday conferred with West German Ambassador Gunther Pawelke on the Bonn-Israel reparations pact and Arab opposition to it, it was reported here today from the Egyptian capital.
The parley, at which Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Fawzi was present, was the latest in a series which began with an Egyptian protest to Bonn last September after German and Israeli signature of the pact. Last month the Germans handed Egypt a note refusing to cancel the pact with Israel but offering the Arab states favorable trade considerations. Later, Premier Naguib asked for further clarification of the German note, and yesterday Ambassador Pawelke told newsmen that the Premier was “getting” the clarification he asked.
Another dispatch reported that the Cairo newspaper Al Ahram today carried an interview with Gen. Naguib in which the Egyptian “strong man” threatens non-cooperation with the West for regional defense over the Big Powers’ support of peace negotiations between Israel and the Arab States. Commenting on the resolution–narrowly defeated in the last U.N. General Assembly–calling for direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Arabs, the General said:
“It is strange that the West should favor the interests of 1,000,000 Jews over those of 40,000,000 Arabs holding a unique strategic position so essential in safe-guarding world peace. The effect of these unjust measures on Egyptian and Arab public opinion make it extremely difficult for us to reach an understanding with the West.”
(At the United Nations this week-end, the Egyptian delegation said that the Egyptian authorities had permitted several meat cargoes destined for Israel through the Suez Canal. Commenting on the Israeli charge that a meat shipment was removed from the Norwegian freighter Rimfrost last October, the Egyptian delegation said that the cargo was seized because it was originally identified as coming from the Sudan. After a protest from Eritrea, whence the meat was shipped, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry intervened with the customs officials and the meat was released, the statement said.)
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