Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir of Israel and President Valery Giscard de Estaing of France decided today to try and improve relations between the two countries in spite of basic differences in their policies on the Middle East. Giscard and Shamir met this evening for over one hour at the Elysee Palace. The Israeli Foreign Minister was invited to meet the President in spite of the fact that his five-day visit to France is “private.”
Shamir later said that his visit to France and his meetings with Giscord and French Foreign Minister Jean Francois-Poncet, whom he met last Sunday night have given him a better insight into the French stand. Shamir and Giscord who met alone, without their advisers, reviewed all major regional problems, including the Syrian-Jordanian border tension and Iran-Iraq war.
Shamir, who is returning to Israel tomorrow, earlier met with Egyptian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Butros Ghali. It is believed the two decided to “freeze” the autonomy talks till after the new administration’s inauguration in Washington next month.
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