Kissinger Briefing Eilts on Talks with Rabin

The American Ambassador to Egypt. Herman Eilts, is in Washington for “personal consultations” with Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger and other top U.S. officials regarding possible moves towards resumption of negotiations in the Middle East. Eilts will be “fully briefed” on the visit of Premier Yitzhak Rabin and will then return to Cairo for talks with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, the State Department said. Eilts is expected to be on his way back to his Cairo post at the end of this week.

Eilts apparently will not be in Washington when the Syrian Ambassador Abda Halim Khaddam is expected to arrive here Friday in the continuing communications by the Administration with key Middle East leaders. Malcolm Toon, the new U.S. Ambassador to Israel, who had expected to be in Tel Aviv by June 20, was understood to be delaying his departure a few days, presumably to await the results of the talks with Khaddam.

State Department spokesman Robert Anderson said that the communications in the current diplomatic effort for a Mideast settlement will be made through diplomatic channels. However, it would be “very useful” for Eilts to return here at this particular time, Anderson said.

Anderson also said that “I am absolutely unaware” that any consideration was being given for selection of a special envoy to handle the Middle East negotiations. It was understood that Kissinger would not return to the Middle East in another shuttle effort until there was reasonable assurance of success. Anderson said he was unaware that there would be any meetings with other leaders than Khaddam.