Yitzhak Rabin, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, and emissaries for a half dozen Arab nations will sign agreements tomorrow at the State Department as partners in a new permanent organization for world-wide satellite communications but it is unlikely that they will exchange remarks at the ceremony. Department officials responsible for the ceremony said that the representative expected from approximately 36 countries will be called individually by name to a central desk in the conference hall for signing. After each representative affixes his signature to the documents, he will return to his seat. Thus, the likelihood of any meeting is remote. It was uncertain what representative will attend the luncheon to follow the signing and where they will be seated. American officials observed that it is not unusual for Israeli and Arab diplomats to attend international meetings together. They pointed to the United Nations as a prime example.
Emissaries from Egypt. Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Kuwait and the Yemen Arabic Republic also are expected to sign the agreements tomorrow. It was not certain, however, whether Libya, Jordan, Syria and Iraq, which also are parties to the agreement on INTELSAT (international Telecommunications Satellite Organization) will be present. Egypt, the Sudan, Libya, Syria and Iraq do not have diplomatic relations with the United States. INTELSAT was established in 1964 under interim arrangements with the Communications Satellite Corporation. COMSAT as overall manager on behalf of the partners. The permanent organization will come into being when two-thirds or 54 of the present membership of 80 countries ratify and sign the agreement.
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