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VOLUME 7: 1981-1982
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48. Statement by Prime Minister Begin upon his Return from Alexandria, 26 August 1981.
In a brief statement at the Jerusalem airport, upon his return from his meeting with President Sadat, Mr. Begin reiterated the general agreement reached with Egypt on the resumption of the autonomy talks. Text:
My colleagues and friends, the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Defense and the Minister of the Interior, the Chairman of the Negotiations Committee on Autonomy, and myself were received in Alexandria with great warmth by President Sadat, his deputy, the members of the Egyptian government, and also by the general population of the city. We concluded a number of agreements, primary among them the agreement to renew the autonomy talks. Last night in the discussions between President Sadat and myself we concluded that the autonomy talks would begin and be renewed in the second half of September, due to the fact that all four of us will be leaving on 2 September to the United States and we will be returning home somewhere between the 13 and 15 of September. This morning the Foreign Ministers of Egypt and Israel and Dr. Burg decided in joint consultation, and the matter was accepted by President Sadat and I willingly agreed, that the 23 and 24 of September will be the two days on which the renewed autonomy talks will be opened in Cairo, and the second meeting will be in our country. President Sadat explained to me that he is very interested in deepening normalization, this matter will require some time, but it can be said that either from the,, end of September or from the first half of October, there will be serious normalization in the cultural, agricultural and commercial areas in the relations between us. In October, according to the agreement between us our Minister of Tourism will visit his Egyptian counterpart. There will certainly be a return visit and they will deal with all matters pertaining to increasing tourism from both sides. |
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