U.N. Chief Reports on Envoy’s Trip, Speaks of ‘anguish’ over Middle East

U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar has expressed satisfaction with the Middle East mission undertaken last week by his aide, Jean-Claude Aime, who visited Israel and the administered territories as his special emissary.

The secretary-general, who is visiting Geneva, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Aime had prepared a detailed report of his mission, which included meetings with Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, Foreign Minister David Levy and other top Israeli officials.

Aime received full cooperation with Israeli authorities, who permitted him to meet with Arabs in the territories and in Israel, he said.

When asked what Aime’s report contained, Perez de Cuellar said he was still analyzing it.

Aime, who is from Haiti and considered one of the top Middle East expert at U.N. headquarters in New York, was invited by the Israeli government, though his trip in fact had already been ordered by the secretary-general.

Perez de Cuellar reported on his envoy’s mission during his annual news conference at the United Nations’ European headquarters here.

He spoke poignantly of the urgency of advancing the Middle East peace process. ” follow with anguish the situation in the Middle East, and as long as it is not resolved, we shall live with this anguish and menace,” he said.

He observed that “around the world, thing are changing rapidly, except in the Middle East.”

“It is breaking my heart that nothing I moving in the Middle East and to know that will leave my post with this big frustration that could not make things move there,” he said.

Perez de Cuellar made clear that he favor an international solution.