Four Power efforts to find the basis for a solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict were under way again today after a five-month hiatus. An initial four-hour meeting, held Tuesday evening, apparently was not productive of much more than a decision to continue the talks at an accelerated pace and, an agreement on the readiness of the participants, “to consider at their meetings specific questions concerning the implementation of this resolution (the Security Council resolution of Nov. 22, 1967) in all its aspects as a ‘package deal’ relating to the entire region of conflict in the Middle East.”
The envoys of the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain and France held their sixteenth meeting Tuesday in the apartment of Ambassador Charles W. Yost. They will meet again next Saturday at the residence of French Ambassador Arm and Berard. In the past, the envoys and their aides met once a week. The schedule will now apparently be speeded up to provide for more frequent meetings.
A formal communique-a precedent in the history of the Four Power meetings-was made public after the four hour session Tuesday night. Ambassador Yost, flanked by his colleagues, read the text to newsmen in an attempt to give it greater weight and impressiveness.
ENVOYS DESCRIBE MIDEAST SITUATION AS “INCREASINGLY SERIOUS”
The four ambassadors confirmed in the communique that “they regard the situation in the Middle East as increasingly serious and urgent. They reaffirmed their conviction that this situation must not be permitted to jeopardize international peace and security.” The envoys reiterated that their objective was “to promote the establishment of lasting peace in the Middle East through supporting Security Council resolution 242 of Nov. 22, 1967 which should be carried out in all its parts.”
The communique stressed the desire of the Four Power permanent representatives “to assist the Secretary-General’s special representative (Ambassador Gunnar V. Jarring) to resume as soon as possible his task of promoting agreement and assisting efforts to achieve a peaceful and accepted settlement” in accordance with the November 22, 1967 resolution. Ambassador Jarring has been inactive since his fruitless attempts in New York last September to get the Egyptians to participate in a “Rhodes type” meeting with Israel. The communique promised that the envoys “will pursue their endeavors with all possible speed.”
Attending the meeting with Ambassador Yost were Yakov Malik of the Soviet Union; Lord Cardoon, of Britain, and Armand Berard, of France, They were joined by eight deputy representatives and political advisers.
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