Premier Golda Meir will visit Rumania at the beginning of next month. Announcements confirming her trip were made simultaneously today in Jerusalem and Bucharest. Mrs. Meir will be in Rumania 4-5 days. It will be the first official visit by an Israeli Premier to a Communist bloc nation.
Political observers here have linked the forthcoming trip to President Nixon’s visit to Moscow scheduled to begin May 22. According to some sources, the Soviet leaders may want to inform themselves, through Rumania, of Israel’s position prior to Nixon’s arrival. The Middle East situation is on the summit agenda. Mrs. Meir may also get a briefing on the latest position of President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, from Rumanian President Nicolae Ceausescu who visited Cairo recently, observers said.
Another matter expected to be raised during Mrs. Meir’s visit is the possibility that Rumania may be willing to act as mediator between Israel and the Arab states. This is believed to have been touched on in a general way by Rumanian Deputy Foreign Minister Giorghiu Macovescu who visited Israel last week and conferred with Mrs. Meir and Foreign Minister Abba Eban. Observers here consider it possible that Ceausescu will offer a concrete proposal in that direction.
SUCCESS FOR ISRAELI DIPLOMACY
It is assumed here that Mrs. Meir’s visit to Rumania is welcomed by both Moscow and Cairo though there has been no official information to bear this out. Some officials, however, expressed doubts that Rumania’s invitation to Mrs. Meir, which is a pro-Israel political act, could have been sanctioned by Egypt. Algeria has already denounced possible Rumanian mediation plans. The official Algerian news agency said today that it appeared Rumania seeks to raise the “Hussein-Allon plan,” this time emanating from Bucharest.
Prior to Eban’s departure for the US where he is to meet tomorrow with Secretary of State William P. Rogers, Israel’s Foreign Minister told newsmen that Mrs. Meir’s visit to Rumania was important for Israeli-Rumanian relations. He said Rumanian representatives have always evaded using the term “mediate” with reference to the Middle East conflict. They prefer, he noted, to be regarded as relayers–relaying the position of one side to the other. Eban noted that Rumania enjoys friendly relations with both Israel and the Arab states. He said, however, that he had no knowledge of what specific subjects would be raised by the Rumanians in their talks with Mrs. Meir.
Some Western observers described Mrs. Meir’s forthcoming trip as “an important success for Israeli diplomacy.” (In Paris, the influential newspaper, Le Monde, suggested today that the Bucharest government may be trying to act as a mediator between Israel and the Arab states. Macovescu, currently in Paris, met with French Foreign Minister Maurice Schumann today and diplomatic circles said the Middle East situation probably was discussed.)
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