Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

DEPARTMENT OF STATE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON DECLASSIFIED May 22, 1950 E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402 State Dept. Guidelines, March 5-14-85 6, 1982 € R II T By DEB NLT, Date SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS NEAR EAST The French government has now approved the text of the proposed declaration on Near East arms and stability which was discussed by the Foreign Ministers dur - ing the London talks, and has agreed to join with the US and UK in sponsoring this declaration. We hope to be able to issue the declara- tion jointly from the three capitals on Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile Ambassador Childs in Jidda has reported that the Syrian Prime Minister recently had a conversation with King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia, and subsequently with Childs, to review the general situation in the Near East and in particular steps which might be taken to improve the attitude of the Near Eastern states toward the US. The Syrian Prime Minister, supported by the Saudi Foreign Minister, informed Childs that the Arab states all de - sire peace and stability and have no aggressive intentions. They all accept the fact of Israel but have serious concern over Israeli inten- tions. In the face of this situation the Arab states feel that we are showing partiality to Israel, a state of affairs which is undermining the US position in the Arab world and which might in fact nullify our ob- jectives in the entire Near Eastern area. The Egyptian government was reported to feel similarly and to have indicated recently that if necessary it could secure arms and assistance from the USSR. YUGOSLAVIA Our Embassy in Belgrade agrees that our policy toward Yugoslavia should be not to make political concessions the price of economic assistance but at the same time to take appropriate opportunity to advance certain issues in the field of Yugoslav foreign relations which are of concern to us. With respect to Greece and Trieste, the Embassy feels there is a genuine desire on the part of the Yugoslav government to settle these problems, though it does not feel in the case of Trieste that this E