National Guidance Minister, Mohammed Hassanein Heykal, affirmed at a press conference on Wednesday (12 Aug) that Egypt was not thinking of singing any peace treaty with Israel, and said that no meaningful negotiation would take place while Arab territories remained occupied.

Mr Heykal rejected suggestions that Egypt's delegates at the United Nations would engage in any form of negotiations there at this time. He told newsmen that Egypt was at the beginning of "an exploring road" and that the "dream of peace" was still "far away".

Egypt's role, he said, was confined simply to contacts with Dr. Gunnar Jarring...the special U.N. Peace Envoy...whose peace mission had been reactivated following acceptance of the American peace initiative by Jordan, Israel, and Egypt.