The Israel Government has officially approached the Hungarian and Rumanian Governments to open negotiations for trade agreements, it was revealed here today.
Israel’s legations in Budapest and Bucharest have transmitted to the Hungarian and Rumanian Governments an invitation from Israel to send negotiators to Jerusalem. Both governments are reported to have agreed to negotiations, but the Hungarians are said to be asking that an Israeli mission come to Budapest. The Israelis argue that since the first pact was negotiated in Budapest–in 1948–it is now the Hungarians’ turn to come to Jerusalem.
The first pact with Hungary was not completely fulfilled because it visualized payment of some of the Hungarian exports with the capital of Jewish immigrants to Israel. Since very few immigrants were permitted to leave Hungary for Israel there was insufficient capital accumulated in this manner to pay for the exports.
There has been no formal trade pact with Rumania in the past, but Israel purchased considerable quantities of oil from Rumania during the Arab invasion. Also, there has been considerable barter between Israeli and Rumanian private concerns.
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