A three-year agreement under which Rumania will buy 150,000 tons of Israeli phosphates annually, and a civil aviation transport pact, were signed here today. Signing for Rumania was visiting Foreign Trade Minister Gheorghe Cioara. Zeev Sharef, Trade and Industry Minister, signed for Israel.
The signing culminated six days of talks between Rumanian and Israeli officials. The agreements included provision for a mixed commission created on the basis of a wide-range economic, scientific and trade pact signed last April 14, Rumania is the only Communist country which did not break relations with Israel during the Six-Day War last June.
Officials of both delegations noted with satisfaction the progress achieved to date in trade relations. The commission also will examine possibilities of further expansion of economic and technical cooperation between the two countries. El Al Airlines officials immediately began planning flights to Rumania.
The trade pact provides an option for Rumania to buy an additional 50,000 tons of Israeli phosphates annually. The phosphates will be used in Rumanian plants to produce chemical fertilizers. Rumanian officials also were reported planning for a new, large chemical industry which would make use of Israeli know-how. The agreement provides also that Israeli phosphoric acid, to be produced at the Arad chemical complex, will be sold to Rumania. Rumania also was expected to buy Israeli potash.
The Israeli delegation reported also that there were good possibilities of selling Timna copper to Rumania after July, 1968. Copper production at the mines is sold out until that date.
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