Arab delegations respond to the 15 August Commission memorandum re. delegations’ willingness to cooperate – UNCCP 36th meeting (Lausanne) – Summary Record

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

SUMMARY RECORD OF A MEETING BETWEEN THE CONCILIATION COMMISSION

AND THE DELEGATIONS OF THE ARAB STATES

held in Lausanne on Monday,

29 August 1949, at 4:00 p.m.

* Alternate

The CHAIRMAN stated that the meeting had been convened with the delegations of the Arab States in order to receive their reply to the memorandum of 15 August, addressed to them by the Commission.

MOSTAFA BEY (Egypt), speaking on behalf of all the Arab delegations, said that the delegations of the Arab States had studied the memorandum addressed to them by the Commission with the greatest care. It seemed to them a decisive step in the Commission’s work and one which they welcomed.

He informed the Commission that the Arab States had prepared a joint reply, representing the views of all their Governments, in written form. That reply comprised two parts: first of all, a general survey of views, setting forth all the proposals made by the Arab delegations since the beginning of negotiations in Lausanne, and secondly, the replies to the questions contained in the Commission’s memorandum. There was also an accompanying letter which he read to the Commission.

He thereupon submitted the written reply to the Commission and said that he and the other Arab representatives would always be at the Commission’s disposal to give them any further explanations or comment members of the Commission might wish to have.

The CHAIRMAN thanked the Arab delegations for their reply which would be considered as a document in the negotiations and would be carefully studied and discussed by the Commission. A further meeting would be held at the earliest possible opportunity with the delegations of the Arab States to discuss that reply and the course the Commission’s work would take.