Soviet Ambassador Anatoly F. Dobrynin will meet Joseph Sisco. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, in New York City on Thursday to resume high level bilateral American-Soviet efforts to achieve an Arab-Israeli settlement.
A State Department spokesman declined to discuss whether there has been any recent narrowing of the gap between American and Soviet thinking on a Mideast solution. He replied that some progress had been made in the evolution of the bilateral dialogue but there remained a distance to go before the gap is closed. The Sisco-Dobrynin meeting will proceed concurrently with expected discussions between Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko and the top US.leaders — President Richard M. Nixon and Secretary of State William P. Rogers — on the Arab-Israel issue.
The timing of next week’s visit of Israeli Premier Golda Meir is considered by State Department officials to be fortuitous because negotiations then under way may require some “flexibility” on the part of Israeli leadership, they said. The presence of Mrs. Meir in Washington is regarded as advantageous to U.S. officials who will be seeking a breakthrough in the bilateral talks with Soviet officials. It is expected that Mrs. Meir will make approaches here for additional military jet aircraft, economical and other considerations that would put Washington authorities in a favorable position to press for Israeli concessions.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
