President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt returned to Cairo today conceding that he had failed to convince the United States to back his plan for Middle East peace, the first stage of which calls for the U.S. to meet with a joint Jordanian-Palestinian delegation, with Israel entering the picture only afterwards.
Mubarak experienced a similar lack of success with President Francois Mitterrand of France, with whom he met before going to Washington, and with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of Britain and Chancellor Helmut Kohl of West Germany on his way back. They, in effect, wished him luck in his peace efforts but offered no commitments of support for his plan.
Mubarak, who meets tomorrow with King Hussein of Jordan to brief him on his tour of the Western countries, scored his only significant success in Italy. Prime Minister Bettino Craxi, who met with the Egyptian leader in Venice yesterday, declared that Italy will back Mubarak’s initiative. Craxi, President Sandro Pertini and Foreign Minister Julio Andreotti have, in fact, supported a variety of peace plans to emerge from the Arab camp in recent months.
Their apparently unqualified support for Mubarak’s proposals is significant inasmuch as Craxi currently holds the rotating Presidency of the European Economic Community (EEC), a position from which he can exert a degree of persuasion on the other nine partners.
MUBARAK STRESSES TRIP WAS USEFUL
Mubarak maintained on his arrival home that his trip had been useful in “at least sharing with them (the Western leaders) the current realities of the (Middle East) area. “He said he would continue his diplomatic cooperation with Hussein and back the new Jordan- Palestinian coalition. His meeting with Hussein tomorrow will be their fifth since Jordan resumed diplomatic relations with Egypt last year.
One of Mubarak’s main talking points with Western leaders was that the accord signed by Hussein and Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasir Arafat last February 11 for a joint approach to peace negotiations was an historic milestone of a significance that should not be underestimated.
Hussein, in an interview in Amman, published in The New York Times today, said he could make no further moves toward the peace process in the Middle East unless the U.S. agrees to meet with a joint Jordanian-Palestinian delegation. He has ruled out any initiative that does not include the PLO.
The Jordanian ruler was quoted by the Times as saying, “I have done my utmost to move toward peace. We must not miss this opportunity. This is the last chance.” This was more or less what Mubarak has been stressing in Washington and other capitals. The Reagan Administration objected to the idea of talks with a Jordanian-Palestinian group without the participation of Israel. It also ruled out any contact with the PLO until the latter meets U.S. conditions–formal acceptance of Israel’s right to exist and acceptance of United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 and 338.
SHULTZ SEES ALTERNATIVE ROUTE
Nevetheless, while Secretary of State George Shultz rejected Mubarak’s specific proposals, he indicated that there were several alternative routes to the peace process.” Mr. Mubarak’s suggestion is one suggestion. There are others, “Shultz said at a news conference Friday. “I think it is fair to say that there has been movement among the parties in the region which we have encouraged … And so it is important — and that was President Mubarak’s main point — to keep the momentum going. He (Mubarak) deserves credit for trying to keep it going, ” Shultz said.
He announced that after Jordanian Foreign Minister Taher al-Masri visits Washington next week, President Reagan will send Richard Murphy, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs to Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries to assess developments. “He will report back promptly and we will be doing everything we can to keep momentum toward peace in the Middle East going, “Shultz said.
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