92. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt1
193258. White House for Brzezinski only. Subject: Message From the President for Sadat.
1. Please deliver as soon as possible the following letter from President Carter to President Sadat:
2. Begin text: Dear Mr. President: Secretary Vance has reported to me in detail about his trip to the Middle East, including in particular his long discussions with you in Alexandria.2 I appreciate very much the warm and cooperative reception that you gave to Secretary Vance and the candor with which you discussed with him these issues of such great mutual importance. It is clear that serious differences remain [Page 476] among the parties on the core issues of a settlement and that there are difficult obstacles to be overcome in convening a Geneva Conference. I believe it is also clear, however, that Secretary Vance’s talks in the area have launched a new and more intensive phase of diplomacy, which has already made some progress, to overcome these obstacles. Agreement among the parties on talks to be held with us in September in Washington and New York at the Foreign Minister level has provided a means through which I hope we can make definitive arrangements for convening the Geneva Conference. The concept of detailed contributions from each party containing draft treaty language was an extremely useful one which should give much greater concreteness to these forthcoming talks. You may be sure that I shall do everything I can, in my own meetings with the Foreign Ministers, to press forward toward the early convening of a sufficiently prepared conference.
Secretary Vance also reported some movement in the question of Palestinian representation as well as in the matter of laying the groundwork for our being able to talk with the PLO. I very much hope that you will give the most serious thought to the idea of a unified Arab delegation as a means for dealing with the Palestinian representation problem. I am prepared to press Israel to accept such a solution but the first step must of course be agreement among the Arab governments. I recognize why you have had reservations about the unified delegation concept. I believe, however, that the actual work of the Conference can be structured in ways that will not materially restrict Egypt’s freedom of action at Geneva in negotiating on matters of substantive importance to you.
With respect to possible U.S. contacts with the PLO, I appreciate very much the energetic and constructive efforts of yourself and Foreign Minister Fahmy, and we now await the results of the contacts that you and others have been having with the PLO. I cannot stress too strongly how important it is, in order for us to begin a dialogue with the Palestinians directly, that any PLO statement accepting Resolution 242 be clear and unambiguous, along the lines discussed with you by Secretary Vance. We consider this approach infinitely preferable to any attempt to amend or supersede Resolution 242 by formal action in the United Nations. Such action could threaten the only existing framework for negotiations, namely acceptance of Resolutions 242 and 338 by all the parties, and we would accordingly be obliged to oppose it.
I look forward to meeting with Foreign Minister Fahmy in September. Meanwhile, I send you my very best wishes, and Rosalyn joins me in greetings to Jihan. With best regards, Jimmy.
End text.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East File, Subject File, Box 10, Egypt: 8–12/77. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Sent immediate for information to the White House.↩
- See Documents 63, 64, and 87.↩