PM Transcripts

MIDDLE EAST MARCH 19279
The Prime Minister said today that the Australian Government
welcomed the dramatic progress towards an Egyptian/ Israeli
peace treaty which had been achieved during President Carter's
recent visit to Egypt and Israel. " The prospects for the
signature of a treaty are clearly now very good", the
Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister paid tribute to the statesmanship of
President Carter whose personal initiatives both at Camp David
last September and in making his recent visit to the Middle
East had kept alive the Egyptian/ Israeli dialogue at times
when deadlock appeared likely. He also praised the courage
of President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin in their willingness
to work tirelessly in the interest of achieving a treaty.
The Prime Minister said a treaty between Egypt and Israel
would be an historic event not only in itself, but in the
stimulus it would provide to bring about peace in the Middle
East as a whole. The Australian Government hoped that other
Arab States, w~ hose participation in the peace process will be
necessary if there is to be a lasting Middle East settlement,
could also be encouraged to join future negotiations. The
Prime Minister expressed the hope that as the treaty was
implemented, the doubts of other Arab States would lessen and
that work on a comprehensive Middle East settlement would proceed.
The Prime Minister concluded by reaffirming the Australian
Government's support for all moves designed to end the long
years of tension and suffering in the Middle East, and to bring
about a stability and peace absent from the region for so long.
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