United Nations Secretary-General U Thant said today that he expected a report by special Middle East peace envoy, Dr. Gunnar V. Jarring, on his mission before the end of July. Mr. Thant, addressing a luncheon of the United Nations Correspondents Association, said that he would transmit Dr. Jarring’s report to the Security Council, which authorized the Jarring mission in its resolution on the Middle East last Nov. 22.
Mr. Thant said that he had been “in constant touch” with Dr. Jarring since the latter came to New York from his Cyprus headquarters to continue his peace mission here. But, he added, he did not know “about the progress or lack of it” on the question of Middle East peace. He said it would be up to the Security Council to decide whether it wanted to meet on the report.
Mr. Thant said that the Swedish Government had extended Dr. Jarring’s leave until the end of August as the Secretary-General’s special ambassador. His first six months’ leave from the Swedish diplomatic corps ended in May.
Mr. Thant declined to comment directly on the issue of direct talks between Israel and her belligerent Arab neighbors. Mr. Jarring, he said, “is trying his best to achieve success” In light of the terms of the Nov. 22 resolution.
On the question of a new special representative to look into humanitarian problems–including refugees–in the Middle East, Mr. Thant said that he had been in constant touch with the interested countries and that he hoped to submit a report on the issue to the Security Council within the next few days.
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