France has decided to fully cooperate with the Jordanian-Palestinian delegation suggested by King Hussein of Jordan as the first step toward negotiations with Israel.
Foreign Minister Roland Dumas told the French National Assembly today that not only will France host the delegation, if and when it is formed, but will try to convince its European Economic Community partners to meet with it as well.
Dumas, who was addressing a foreign policy debate in the National Assembly, said he hoped the delegation will be formed “soon” and will visit France as early as possible. The Minister said France has been “approached, “presumably by both Jordan and the Palestinians, because of its position as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
According to Dumas, part of the decision to host the delegation is due to the fact that “as everybody knows, the Palestinian question is at the heart of the Lebanese tragedy.”
Hussein suggested formation of a Jordanian-Palestinian delegation after he reached a tentative agreement on this subject with Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasir Arafat. Israel has repeatedly said it will not negotiate or meet with a delegation which includes PLO members. The United States is still hesitant on this question.
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