Former French Premier Edgar Faure will return tomorrow from Cairo, where he has spent three weeks as President de Gauile’s unofficial representative to Egyptian President Nasser.
According to press reports, M. Faure was entrusted with negotiating further French efforts at rapprochement with the Nasser Government. L’Aurore, a daily newspaper, reported that negotiations involved a French loan of $200,000,000 to help the Nasser regime in its current balance-of-payments squeeze.
Also listed by the newspaper was reported French approval for Egypt to step up its activities in former French territories in Africa, where Egypt hopes eventually to replace Israel’s influence. A third element of the new negotiations, the newspaper said, would be an invitation to Nasser to visit Paris next summer for a welcome by President de Gaulle.
M. Faure met today with Nasser and previously met with other Egyptian leaders. The former French Premier was received by President de Gaulle before going to Cairo and will meet with the French President again on his return. The French press indicated a belief that France was eager to replace United States influence in the Middle East and to serve as a counterbalance to Russia’s influence in the area.
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