France today joined Bahrain in calling for a Middle East peace settlement which would enable “the Palestinian people to fulfill their aspirations,” but without reaffirming Israel’s right to secure frontiers.
The call came in a statement by French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing and Bahrain’s Emir Sheikh Isa Bin Sulman al-Khalifa who has just ended a four-day official visit here. Although the communique was interpreted in some quarters as reflecting a hardening of France’s attitude towards Israel. French and Israeli officials did not share this view.
But the communique was noteworthy for the absence of any reference to the need for safe borders in the Middle East. This appears regularly in French statements on the area and was reaffirmed by Giscard d’Estaing on Tuesday when he toasted the Bahraini Emir at a state banquet.
The final communique said: “The two parties expressed their common conviction that the search must be hastened for a lasting peace settlement which will conform to the principles of law, justice and equity, particularly in permitting the Palestinian people to fulfill their aspirations and exercise their legitimate rights.”
The communique praised the growth of French business investment in Bahrain and the prospects for expanding economic cooperation between the two countries.
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