
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 18, 1991                   TAG: 9104180222
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-13   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: LUXEMBOURG                                LENGTH: Short

EUROPEANS SEEK PLACE IN TALKS/ BAKER CAUTIOUS ON MIDEAST IDEA

The 12-nation European Community told Secretary of State James Baker Wednesday night that it wants to be a partner in any conference to end the Arab-Israeli conflict, but Baker remained cautious about what kind of role the Europeans might play.

"It has been our view from the beginning that it would be better if such a conference were inclusive rather than exclusive," Baker said following a meeting here with the EC's 12 foreign ministers. He stopped here en route to the Middle East to continue seeking a basis for renewed peace talks between Israel and its Arab adversaries.

"At the same time, we are seeking to create and establish a process that has some reasonable chance of success and indeed of even beginning in the first place," Baker added.

The idea of the EC countries joining the United States and the Soviet Union as sponsors of a regional peace conference has strong backing among Arab countries. But it is vigorously opposed by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir's government, which fears the Europeans will tilt toward the Arabs and support creation of a Palestinian state in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israeli suspicion of European intentions has been particularly strong since the 1973 Middle East War triggered an Arab oil embargo against the West. The EC, seeking to safeguard its oil supplies, put pressure on Israel to make concessions, and the Jewish state since has regarded the EC as favoring the Arab position in the dispute.

by CNB