Israel and Spain will announce jointly next month the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, including the exchange of ambassadors, according to Madrid radio reports monitored here by the World Jewish Congress.
The reports, citing governmental sources in Madrid, said the announcement will be made in February at a meeting between the Spanish and Israeli Foreign Ministers. The report was given additional credence by what seems to be a compensatory gesture by Spain toward the Palestine Liberation Organization and a warning by rejectionist states in the Middle East that Spain’s formal recognition of Israel would have an “adverse impact.”
The PLO radio reported that the Speaker of the Palestine National Council (INC), the so-called Palestinian Parliament-in-exile, ended a visit to Spain December 21 with an agreement that the PLO diplomatic representation in Madrid would be upgraded. Such a move was seen as compensation for the expected establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel.
Meanwhile, the Damascus Home Service radio broadcast the text of a communique issued at the end of a meeting between the Syrian, Libyan and Iranian Foreign Ministers in Tripoli, Libya, last week.
It said, “The delegations expressed displeasure and regret over recent statements by a number of Spanish government officials which expressed a determination to establish diplomatic relations with the Zionist entity.” The communique warned of “the adverse impact of such action on traditional Arab-Islamic-Spanish relations.”
In an unrelated development, Spain and Portugal were formally admitted to the European Economic Community (EEC) yesterday, becoming its 11th and 12th members.
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