Related Quarterly Updates

Syria and Lebanon continued to boycott all meetings attended by Israeli representatives. Meetings during the quarter were as follows:

  • The Multilateral Working Group on Economic Development held a follow-up meeting in Cairo on 12/5. Representatives from Egypt, the EU, France, Israel, Japan, Jordan, the PA, and the U.S. agreed to form three regional councils on finance, trade, and tourism to strengthen regional cooperation. Another two-day meeting was held in Bonn 1/18-19, but the PA delegation head concluded that little more can be achieved until Israeli-Palestinian bilateral negotiations move forward.
  • The Middle East Arms Control Group held its seventh meeting in Tunis 12/ 13-15. Participants (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, PA, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, U.S.) discussed confidence-building measures, naval issues, the creation of regional communication and security centers, and demilitarized zones. At the end of the meeting, members agreed to form three regional security/conflict-prevention centers (Amman, Qatar, Tunis) with main headquarters in Cairo, but could not agree on a joint declaration defining security relations because of differences over the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
  • ear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). * The Refugee Working Group also held its seventh session 12/13-15, in Ankara. Over 250 delegates from 40 countries and organizations attended. They discussed job creation, family reunification, aid for children, public health, social and economic infrastructure, and human resource development. At the end of the meeting, the group submitted a proposal for a vocational training program for Palestinian refugees. The plan would cost $20 m. over three years.
  • The multilateral talks steering committee met for two days (1/22-23) in Cairo to discuss accomplishments of the five working groups. Delegations from Canada, Egypt, the EU, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Norway, the PA, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. attended.

 

Working group meetings were largely put off in favor of less formal trilateral and multilateral talks. Nonetheless, Syria and Lebanon continued to boycott all meetings attended by Israeli representatives.

Though Syria and Lebanon continued officially to boycott all meetings attended by Israeli representatives, two unofficial contacts took place: on 6/20, Syrian and Lebanese representatives reportedly met with an Israeli delegate on the sidelines of the multilateral meeting on water; and on 7/24 senior Syrian, Lebanese, and Israeli foreign ministry officials met in Brussels on the sidelines of the preparatory meeting for the 11/28-29 Barcelona business conference.

  • The Multilateral Talks Steering Committee (5/17-18, Montreux, Switzerland) discussed unifying the water and environmental working groups; convening economic groups once a year, instead of twice; and upgrading arms control talks to the foreign minister level. The U.S. supported an Arab initiative to create a working group on Jerusalem (opposed by Israel), and the Swiss proposed a working group on human rights (opposed by Saudi Arabia). Despite wide-ranging discussions, no decisions were taken. Israel blamed the lack of progress on the Arabs raising "issues ... not relevanto the multinational talks," such as land confiscations, release of prisoners, Jerusalem, and closure.
  • Also in June, representatives from Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, and Tunisia held a Middle East Arms Control Group meeting. Parties agreed to establish an international center in Amman for surveillance and monitoring of arms procurement and production and other military activities in the Middle East. The center will be financed by Holland and the U.S.
  • The Multilateral Working Group on Economic Development (6/7, Amman) recommended approval of urgent regional transport projects (incl., rail networks, roads, and ports) and coordination on civil aviation.
  • The Multilateral Working Group on the Environment (6/19, Amman) discussed monitoring oil spills in the Gulf of Aqaba and antidesertification projects for Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, and the self-rule areas. Over 40 countries participated.
  • The Multilateral Working Group on Water (6/20-22, Amman) discussed data collection, creating water resources, and equalizing water laws and regulations. Parties proposed joint projects totalling $50 m.: $2.5 m. from the U.S. and EU for a Palestinian data bank; $3 m. from Austria for water irrigation; $5 m. from the U.S, Japan, and Israel for waste water treatment; $7 m. from the Netherlands for a Nahal Besor/Wadi 'Aza dam to enrich the Gaza aquifer; and $30 m. from Oman for regional desalinization. On 6/20, the water group also convened a joint meeting with the environmental group to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Quarterly Updates for (1 Jan 1970 — 1 Jan 1970)

Though Syria and Lebanon continued officially to boycott all meetings attended by Israeli representatives, two unofficial contacts took place: on 6/20, Syrian and Lebanese representatives reportedly met with an Israeli delegate on the sidelines of the multilateral meeting on water; and on 7/24 senior Syrian, Lebanese, and Israeli foreign ministry officials met in Brussels on the sidelines of the preparatory meeting for the 11/28-29 Barcelona business conference.