“Further discussions on implementation of the agreement of President Johnson and Prime Minister Eshkol to cooperate in desalting were conducted during the week of June 1,” it was announced today in a formal Joint American-Israel communique issued simultaneously in Washington and Jerusalem.
“During these discussions, Minister Peres, Chairman Seaborg, Commissioners Palfrey and Ramey, and officials of the Department of the Interior agreed that the program would be developed as follows:
“A) A joint U. S. -Israeli technical team will be appointed immediately to conduct, during this summer, surveys to define the scope and requirements for the program.
B) Based on the results of these surveys detailed engineering and economic studies will be carried out jointly.
“C) It is hoped that on the basis of these surveys and studies, an economic desalting project of mutual technological interest, producing substantial quantities of water for specialized agricultural and for industrial uses will be undertaken in Israel, with active participation of the United States.
“The International Atomic Energy Agency will be invited to participate in the program from the beginning, including action as an observer in the joint studies this summer. As agreed by President Johnson and Prime Minister Eshkol the knowledge and experience obtained from this program will be available to all countries with water deficiencies, “the communique concluded.
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