Three Foreign Ministers to Visit Israel

The Foreign Ministers of Denmark, Brazil and the Dominican Republic have accepted an invitation from Israel’s Foreign Minister Abba Eban to visit Israel, it was announced today by the Israel Mission. The three Foreign Ministers are expected to visit Israel late this year or early next year. Eban also met with other Foreign Ministers including those of Great Britain, France, Italy, Uruguay, Australia, Peru, Argentina. Senegal and Austria to discuss the Middle East, terrorism, France’s proposal for European free-trade zones, and the Oct. 9 conference of European Foreign Ministers.

British Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home assured Eban that Britain has no intention of upsetting the balance of power in the Middle East by supplying offensive weapons to Egypt. Sir Alec reportedly offered no British or European plan for a Mideast settlement but he did say that Britain would be willing to make its good offices available to the disputing parties should they seek assistance in diplomatic talks. Italy’s Foreign Minister, Giuseppe Medici, told Eban that Europe should help in the search for a Middle East settlement if both sides agreed.

In his meeting with French Foreign Minister Maurice Schumann, Eban expressed support for the French plan to make the Mediterranean a free-trade zone that would include Israel. Eban reportedly requested that a special committee be appointed by the EEC to deal with the idea. He said the free-trade zone plan should have broad terms of reference and that the EEC should sign an interim agreement with Israel if deliberations on the zone proposal extend beyond 1972.