American and Soviet representatives are expected to start discussing by next week a tentative date for the resumption of the Geneva peace conference. Diplomatic sources in Geneva told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the Soviet and American representatives to the conference, Ambassadors Vladimir Vlnogradov and Ellsworth Bunker, are expected to arrive in Geneva for this purpose before the end of the month.
The sources told the JTA that Soviet diplomats have already contacted United Nations officials in Geneva to “privately” inquire about the technical possibilities of renewing the talks “at the earliest.” The original conference, in December 1973, was held at the United Nations headquarters and in the presence of UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim. The UN officials reportedly told the Soviet diplomats that they could have all technical arrangements ready within a matter of days.
It is generally believed in Geneva that the date for the opening of the conference will be fixed before April 24 when the Security Council will have to renew the six months term of UNEF in Sinai. Arab sources in Geneva have indicated that Egypt will not agree to extend the UNEF mandate unless a definite date for the renewal of the Geneva talks is fixed.
The Arab sources in Geneva are reported to have told foreign diplomats and United Nations officials that Israeli and American objections to the presence of a PLO delegation at the conference table could be removed by forming a single Arab delegation to consist of representatives of the various Arab states and the PLO.
The Arab sources added that they believe America would not object to the Arabs forming their delegation “as we think fit.” Without saying so, the Arab diplomats indicated that this possibility had been discussed with Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger during one of his recent meetings with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in Aswan. The Arab diplomats and the Soviets are quoted as saying that they would like to see the conference resume “before summer.”
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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.
