In the last week of February, Mr. Shamir visited Paris, Bonn and The Hague. While in Europe he was briefed by the prime minister on the talks with 0sama el-Baz, and decided to continue his trip abroad Upon his return he stated his position. He rejected the first phase of the proposed Cairo talks, namely a meeting of Egyptian, American, Jordanian and Palestinian delegates without Israel. He also called on Egypt to adhere to the Camp David formula in its diplomatic initiatives, a formula that specified the presence of Israel in any future talks with the Jordanians and Palestinians. Text:
"On Wednesday morning I received reports about talks and consultations in Israel related to the moves mainly of the Egyptian government and the president of Egypt. I immediately contacted the prime minister and Minister Arens, who was as acting foreign minister in my absence. I was briefed about the events and the consultations, and both of them advised me to carry on with my visit as planned, since the government was not about to make any decisions in the coming days. So I completed my visit - at that time I was in Holland - and I have now returned.
"My interlocutors in the countries I visited asked me about my reactions to the ideas and declarations that were published, and about the recent events and consultations in Israel. With respect to the ideas of President Mubarak which were published in the "New York Times" and in the Egyptian press, and in which what is ultimately involved are meetings between Egypt, Jordan, Palestinians and the United States - without Israeli participation - I said that I did not regard these ideas as a contribution to peace in the region, since it is impossible to advance towards peace without talks with Israel. I found the idea itself to be an attempt with the transparent aim of bringing about a situation in which the United States will enter negotiations and [make] official contact with the PLO - and this is liable to harm Israel's interests as well as violate past U.S. commitments to Israel.
"As for other steps now being mooted - meetings, consultations, negotiations - I can say only that Israel is interested in advancing towards peace, Israel is interested in improving its relations with Egypt, and in this sphere Israel must adhere faithfully to the Camp David Accords in which the way to attain peace and to implement it in practice was agreed on. If Egypt wants to improve its relations with Israel, it must uphold all its undertakings in accordance with the Camp David Accords, it must return its ambassador [to Israel], it must maintain all the normalization agreements, it must desist from its hate propaganda against Israel in the Egyptian media.
"With respect to other moves - moves relating to contacts or negotiations with Jordan and other elements - we must act in accordance with what was agreed on at Camp David and in accordance with the basic guidelines of the national unity government, since any deviation from the Camp David Accords is liable to harm Israel's interests and to adversely affect our situation. It was also agreed in the Camp David Accords that Israel would be ready to meet with a delegation to be comprised of Jordan, Egypt, and Palestinian representatives provided that they are not members of the PLO.
"I think that if possibilities are actually being opened up for negotiations to advance the peace, Israel must act vigorously, coolly and in faithfulness to the agreements in which it has agreed to make undertakings; and Israel must also insist that others also maintain that same faithfulness and that same commitment to the agreements they have signed."