Israel and Jordan Disagree on Extent of Talks Accord

JERUSALEM — Israeli leaders said Monday that Israel has virtually agreed with Jordan on peace terms, but Jordan said the two nations are merely close to reaching a common agenda for talks.

“We agreed on all of the items, practically all of the items,” Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told reporters after addressing a telecommunications conference Monday. “Very minor details were left open. So, with relatively slight effort, we can conclude and sign.”

Peres declined to say when the negotiations took place. But Israeli news media said last week that Israeli and Jordanian officials had met secretly as part of the U.S.-sponsored peace talks.

Jordan’s prime minister said Peres’ assessment of a potential peace agreement was inflating an agreement the two countries have reached on what principles they would discuss. He added that there are still problems with language.

“An agenda is not a peace treaty. It is not even a peace agreement,” Prime Minister Abdul Salam Majali said in Jordan’s capital, Amman.

But Peres said that “the agenda is really the plan for a peaceful solution.” He said Jordan was hesitant to sign ahead of others in the peace talks for fear of being isolated.

Also Monday, a senior Jordanian official said that the foreign ministers of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon and top officials of the Palestine Liberation Organization will attend the next round of talks, scheduled for June 15 in Washington.

In other developments, Peres renewed Israel’s offer to withdraw from at least part of the Golan Heights in return for peace with Syria. The Israeli newspaper Davar reported that President Clinton had told the parties the United States would guarantee security arrangements for the Golan.

Newspaper reports also said Israel will push the idea of granting autonomy to the Palestinians of the occupied Gaza Strip as a first step to move the talks along.