Secretary of State Warren Christopher Thursday backed Egypt's call for the elimination of weapons of mass destruction from the Middle East. But he said the time was not right to make that demand of Israel.
In the midst of a lingering dispute, Christopher said after meeting for nearly two hours with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that adherence to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should be "universal."But Christopher said until there is comprehensive peace in the Middle East the best approach was "step by step." He also told reporters the Clinton administration understood Egypt's concern.
Christopher, arriving in Israel from Egypt, said he welcomed word that Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization had made headway on issues that slowed the expansion of Palestinian self-rule on the West Bank. Israel and the PLO Thursday set July 1 as a target date for agreement on a much-delayed Israeli troop withdrawal and Palestinian elections.
However, Christopher said his shuttling in the region came "at a time of great challenge in the peace process." He is trying to reopen Israeli-Syrian negotiations and promote Palestinian self rule.
Mubarak, without abandoning his demand that Israel open its facilities to international inspection, sought to smooth over the differences. He said Egypt was not entering an era of "cold peace" with Israel and that the two countries were cooperating in the search for peace in the area.
Israel long has been suspected of harboring a nuclear arsenal. Without ever admitting it, Israeli leaders have said the country could not let its guard down against such potential adversaries as Iran, Iraq and Libya.
The administration's goal of gaining indefinite extension of the 25-year-old treaty at an international conference that opens next month in New York is caught up in the dispute.
Egypt has lined up a bloc of several Arabs countries that are making Israel's adherence to the treaty a condition for their voting for indefinite extension of the safeguards against the spread of nuclear technology.