Government officials are said to be concerned over the lack of determination among members of the European Economic Community (EEC) to continue its Middle East initiative after Israel completes its withdrawal from Sinai next April, according to sources in the government.
The sources said French reservations over EEC Middle East policies are likely to block any moves beyond the 1980 Venice declaration which has been criticized by the Socialist government in Paris. The declaration, among other things, calls for association of the Palestine Liberation Organization in the Mideast peace process.
Arab diplomats here are understood to believe that following the visit of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt last week, the West German government would welcome a broad-based European initiative to bring the PLO into the peace talks. Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, in his joint statement with Mubarak, spoke of the right of the Palestinians to “exercise full self-determination.” Without that right guaranteed, they would not join in the peace process, Schmidt said.
The government sources said that when Israel evacuates Sinai on April 25, a new chapter will open in Middle East developments. That was taken as an allusion to possible new European diplomatic moves.
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