Serious differences exist between Washington and Paris over the interpretation of President de Gaulle’s call for Big Four talks on the Middle East, the chairman of the French Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee disclosed in a report published yesterday.
Sen. Andre Monteil said that the United States’ acceptance of President de Gaulle’s proposal was ac- tually a polite, diplomatic rejection of it, presented in a way that would spare Gen. de Gaulle’s feelings. He said that contrary to the view held in Paris, the Nixon Administration believes all consultations should take place within the framework of the mission of United Nations special Middle East envoy, Gunnar V. Jarring. He said further that Washington’s insistence that bi-lateral talks take place first to determine whether Four Power talks were feasible virtually cancels France’s insistence on Big Four consultations. The Foreign Affairs Committee was scheduled to hold a full-scale debate on the Middle East next week.
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