Secretary-General U Thant said here today that he intends to visit the Middle East before the next session of the General Assembly, which is to convene this year in November, and made it clear that by “Middle East” he meant specifically Israel and its neighboring states.
Mr. Thant revealed his plan at a general press conference here today when he was asked whether, in view of the fact that he will be in Cairo in the next two weeks, and since there have been renewed shootings on the Syrian-Israeli border, he would visit also Damascus and Jerusalem. His trip to Cairo is to be only one stop in a 15-day tour on which he is to leave next week. In Cairo, he will attend the summit meeting to be held there by African states.
In answer to the query, he said: “It will be very difficult for me to extend my itinerary and fit into my available time any other visits. But it is my intention to visit the Middle East before the next session of the General Assembly.”
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