Israeli and American officials will resume talks here aimed at resolving the differences over oil exploration operations by the Amoco Oil Co. in the Gulf of Suez, the State Department announced yesterday. Talks on the subject were held in Israel between Premier Yitzhak Rabin and U.S. Ambassador Malcolm Toon.
The State Department said that Undersecretary of State Philip Habib and Assistant Secretary Alfred Atherton would meet tomorrow with Ephraim Evron, director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
Israel has objected to Amoco’s operations, under contract to the Egyptian government, because the oil exploration is allegedly being done in waters over which Israel claims control. The U.S. says Amoco has legal rights to operate in the area. The decision to resume discussion of the issue in Washington was taken Monday following the third meeting between Rabin and Toon. It was also agreed at that meeting that pending the talks, Amoco will not conduct oil prospecting outside the areas where it has operated in the past with the Israel government’s approval.
Israel has promised not to interfere with existing operations by Amoco in the Gulf of Suez. Israeli political circles expressed satisfaction with the general atmosphere of the talks. They said Israel’s main interest is that nothing shall be done in the gulf waters without its express approval. Toon reportedly acknowledged this at his meetings with Rabin.
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