President Carter and Rumanian President Nicolae Ceausescu, in a joint declaration at the end of Ceausescu’s two-day state visit last week, stated their support for a Middle East settlement based on Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Arab territories.
Also listed as conditions were insurance of Israel’s territory and security and “respect for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.” However, Carter declined to accept the Rumanian President’s contention that the Palestine Liberation Organization should represent the Palestinians in talks on the future, though they agreed that the talks should include representatives of the Palestinian “people.”
There were reports here that Ceausescu told Carter that the PLO was moving toward recognition of Israel’s right to exist and that he had urged Carter to soften U.S. refusal to deal with the PLO.
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.