President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt said here that Israel’s withdrawal in set stages from Lebanon is the main issue in the Middle East at the moment. Finding a solution to the Palestinian problem is next in line.”
Mubarak, currently on a tour of European capitals, spoke to reporters after a 40-minute conference with U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz at the Egyptian Embassy yesterday. He described their talks as “frank and constructive … brief but global in view.” Their discussion included Mubarak’s forthcoming visit to Washington where he is scheduled to meet with President Reagan on January 23.
Meanwhile, a ranking Egyptian official accompanying Mubarak strongly affirmed the durability of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty and implied that peace with Israel took precedence over other matters in the Middle East conflict.
PERMANENT EGYPTIAN-ISRAELI PEACE AFFIRMED
Osama Al-Baz, the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, stressed at a separate press conference that nothing has changed fundamentally in relations between Egypt and Israel despite Egypt’s criticism of many Israeli actions. The peace between the two countries is “neither fragile nor disputable, but permanent,” he said. He added that “Egypt will use persuasions, not pressure or threats to influence Israeli public opinion.”
Al-Baz disclosed that “there have been recent contacts between the Palestine Liberation Organization, and the Egyptian government in Egypt” because Egypt considers the PLO to be a “bridge” to the other Arab states. He said those contacts were not publicized but that Egypt was urging the PLO to recognize Israel.
Egypt is defending Palestinian rights and by so doing is defending its own, the Egyptian diplomat said. He added, however, “There is no rush. Peace is the first choice and in light of this Egypt is insisting that the PLO must recognize Israel.”
Al-Baz said Egypt and the U.S. shared the goal of getting all foreign forces out of Lebanon. The difference in their positions is that Egypt wants Israel to withdraw unilaterally while the U.S. seeks the simultaneous withdrawal of all foreign forces.
Mubarak was in Bonn today for meetings with West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and other officials on the Middle East situation. He will fly to Vienna tomorrow for a meeting with Chancellor Bruno Kreisky.
JORDAN-PLO AGREEMENT ANNOUNCED
Meanwhile, reports from Amman today said that the PLO and Jordan have announced their agreement on a “special and distinctive relationship” between Jordan and a potential Palestinian entity on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. One of the main points of President Reagan’s Middle East initiative was the creation of a self-governing Palestinian entity in those territories in association with Jordan.
The announcement in Amman came after two days of top level talks between King Hussein and a PLO delegation headed by PLO chairman Yasir Arafat. It stated that Jordan and the PLO would continue “political moves together on all fronts” aimed at establishing Palestinian rights. The announcement said nothing about a joint Jordon-PLO delegation to participate in future peace talks in the region.
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