27 January 1992
MULTILATERAL REGIONAL COOPERATION
Two distinct negotiating frameworks relating to the peace process are
referred to in U.S. Secretary of State James Baker's letter of
invitation (October 18, 1991): direct bilateral negotiations between
Israel and its Arab neighbors, and multilateral negotiations for
regional development. The assumption is that the multilateral regional
negotiations, in addition to their own intrinsic importance and
potential, should carry considerable weight as a supplementary and
confidence-building element in facilitating the bilateral talks.
Israel feels that the regional negotiations could well inaugurate a new
chapter in relations among the states of the Middle East, if they focus
on issues which reflect a common regional interest and require concerted
action by the states concerned to ensure their advancement.
Indeed, the absence of joint action among neighboring states on subjects
of vital concern can cause, in the medium and long-term, irreversible
damage to the area in which the inhabitants of the region live and raise
their families. This constitutes a moral and regional imperative
obliging all the states in the area to work together to ensure that
these negotiations will provide a better future for the entire region.
Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have already announced their readiness to
participate in the multilateral talks. Israel suggests formulating an
approach which will enable countries which have not yet agreed to
attend, to join the talks at a later stage when they decide to do so.
There are undoubtedly subjects at the multilateral level in which
progress can be made without reference to issues which touch on
sovereignty or territory.
Secretary Baker's letter of invitation specifically mentioned five
topics: regional security and arms control, refugee issues, water
resources, quality of the environment and regional economic development.
Israel proposes the inclusion at this stage of two further subjects:
cooperation in the Eilat/Aqaba Gulf area and health.
The following thoughts and ideas relate to the last five topics listed
above:
WATER RESOURCES
The water crisis, which has been building up over recent years, and the
danger that the region will "dry up" are of great concern to all the
countries of the Middle East. If no solution is found, the conflict over
water resources will become much more acute. Water resources do not know
or recognize political boundaries, thus constituting a classic example
of a problem which cannot be effectively resolved within any given
national framework, but should be approached on a regional, multilateral
basis.
The key factor is the water shortage itself, involving, among other
things, incorrect usage of existing water resources. Solutions are
required which would be directed primarily toward:
Producing potable water, mainly through desalination;
Developing a comprehensive program of sewage disposal to recycle these
waters for agricultural use and, at the same time, address the
ecological problem caused by sewage.
In addition, a program for desalination, combined with electric power
production, should be worked out, with the objective of "defusing the
time bomb" of the threat of severe regional drought and all that
eventuality would imply. Such a project would help to alleviate the
water shortage in the region, enable the removal of present restrictions
on development due to lack of water, and contribute to a solution of one
of the main elements of the Arab-Israel conflict.
Other items of cooperation in this field could include the following:
Exchange of geophysical and rainfall data;
Joint regional workshops dealing with common technical issues such as
advanced irrigation techniques; prevention of salination and
brine-disposal methods; schemes for limiting evaporation; etc.
Establishment of a joint task force on rain-inducement techniques such
as cloud seeding;
Integration of solar energy utilization and desalination.
QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Protection of the seas and preservation of the seacoast are issues of
paramount importance. They transcend geographical borders, and thus
active cooperation among all the states of the region is essential if
the region is to benefit from ecological protection. (Presumably,
support for this program will be forthcoming from international bodies,
as well as from the European Community, Japan and the United States.)
The following environmental subjects could be considered in a
multilateral context for the entire Mediterranean region:
Establishment of an eastern Mediterranean center for the prevention of
pollution of the sea and a forecasting and communications network to
combat sea pollution;
Cooperation in formulating guidelines for the development of the
coastline through integration of the planning agencies of all the
countries concerned;
Control measures to prevent destruction of coastal areas;
Regional research on climatic changes and analysis of their impact on
the region;
Study of the possibilities of a regional approach to the elimination
of solid and toxic wastes.
REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
In a peaceful Middle East, changes will occur which will require
adaptation to a new reality and to the challenges arising from changes
taking place in other parts of the world. The subject of the agenda, in
this context, could be: 'Aspects of the Economic Development of the
Middle East in an Era of Peace.' The main categories to be discussed
could be the following:
The gradual transition from national economies based on security
interest to peace economies;
Regional development plans which will complement, rather than compete
with each other;
Joint projects to raise the standard of living.
Special attention should be devoted to the agricultural domain. Based on
past experience, the agenda should focus, in the first stage, preferably
on one central project. It is proposed, therefore, to begin with the
establishment, on a regional basis, of applied and research cooperation
in arid and semi-arid zone agriculture, on the model of the projects now
being implemented in Egypt within the framework of MERC and in
cooperation with USAID.
Other subjects to be considered could include:
Projects essential for all the countries of the region such as: modern
irrigation techniques through optimal utilization of available water
(development and increased productivity of plant species with a low
level of water consumption); plant protection and disease prevention.
Projects of mutual benefit such as: deciduous fruit tree cultivation
in hot climate conditions; increasing fruit and vegetable yields through
adaptation to prevailing regional conditions; establishing a gene bank
for fruit species of the Mediterranean basin; genetic methods of raising
the fertility of sheep and other livestock; pest control by biological
and other means minimizing ecological harm, including the damage to
ground water resulting from the use of pesticides; preservation of
harvested fruits and vegetables; food technology; methods of storing
foodstuffs and seeds; etc.
THE EILAT/AQABA GULF AREA
The Eilat/Aqaba Gulf area includes four countries, all of which are
undergoing economic development. The area thus offers an opportunity of
particular interest - and, in some respects, urgency - to promote
regional cooperation. In order to prevent the deterioration of the
area's unique natural resources as well as to avoid conflicts of
interest and negative mutual influences, joint steps should be taken
with regard to planning, coordination and supervision.
Many of the subjects touching on cooperation in the Eilat/Aqaba area
belong to the bilateral Israel-Jordan domain and, in fact, were thus
noted in the American invitation to the bilateral talks. Other issues,
however, have wider implications which would also affect Egypt and Saudi
Arabia. These should therefore be considered as belonging to the
multilateral sphere.
In the multilateral context, regional arrangements should be arrived at
in the following area:
Quality of the environment and regional emergency arrangements,
including: prevention of pollution of the Eilat/Aqaba Gulf; regional
life saving services; regional navigation and flight safety measures;
regional authority for environmental management, including nature
reserves and coastal activity planning.
Expansion of water and energy resources, including: construction of an
integrated power-and-desalination plant; exploitation of clean energy
sources.
Open tourism, including: free movement of tourist from third countries
throughout the region; offers of regional tour packages; expansion of
the existing Taba-Aqaba ferry services to include stops at Eilat and in
Saudi Arabia.
Other subjects could include: cooperation in aquaculture unique to the
area; activation of a joint regional health center; coordination in
seaport and airport operation; arrangement for the joint utilization of
roads and rail facilities; establishment of a regional scientific
center.
HEALTH
Each of the countries in the region would benefit from cooperation in
the spheres of health and medical services, including the prevention of
epidemics prevalent in the region and the fight against contagious and
viral diseases. Considerable scope exists for cooperation, which should
be activated in stages, beginning with subjects which can be easily
implemented such as:
Joint research projects utilizing health teams from the countries of
the region;
Cooperation in the development of health data systems;
Contagious and viral disease control;
Development of services such as rehabilitation facilities, children's
hospitals and the fight against blindness;
Establishment of a regional center for poison control treatment;
Establishment of a regional center for the use and maintenance of
sophisticated medical equipment;
Exchanges of medical and paramedical personnel;
Exchanges of publications, establishment of medical education networks
and the like;
Development of basic medical facilities and services in rural and
peripheral areas.