Premier Menachem Begin was reported “satisfied” tonight by Egyptian clarifications regarding last minute disputes between Israel and Egypt prior to the Sinai pull-back Sunday. A group of Likud Knesset members who met with the Premier this evening came away with the impression that he intends to proceed with the withdrawal as scheduled.
Egyptian Deputy Premier Kamal Hassan Ali, after a long day of talks with Begin and top ministers, also sounded upbeat. He told reporters “new ideas” had been advanced to “bridge the gaps” and that “the coming days will witness hopefully a happy conclusion of the pending issues.”
Hassan Ali said Egypt was “fully confident” that April 25th “will give the bilateral relations a new impetus and vigorous thrust in the right direction towards the full autonomy … as envisaged in Camp David and the peace treaty to which Egypt adheres and remains faithful in letter and spirit.”
Hassan Ali said he was conveying a letter from Begin to President Hosni Mubarak. Israel TV reported there would be a formal exchange of letters between the two leaders stressing their commitment to Camp David. The Begin-Hassan Ali talks lasted more than four hours, in two sessions, and were interspersed by additional meetings involving U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Walter Stoessel Jr. Hassan Ali and Egyptian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Butros Ghali flew back to Cairo tonight.
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