PRESIDENTIAL PALACE: SOVIET AMBASSADOR: EX PRIME MINISTER KARAMI: NEWSMEN KARAMI SPEAKING.




Initials KM/VS/JH/PS



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Background: SOVIET AMBASSADOR SARVAR AZIMOV AND LEBANON'S FORMER PRIME MINISTER RASHID KARAMI YESTERDAY HELD SEPARATE TALKS ON THE LEBANESE CRISIS WITH PRESIDENT CHARLES HELOU AT THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF BEIRUT.

AFTER NEARLY A WEEK, THE ARMED CLASHES BETWEEN THE LEBANESE ARMY AND PALESTINIAN COMMANDOS APPEAR TO HAVE GIVEN WAY TO NEGOTIATION TO SETTLE THE POSITION OF GUERILLAS OPERATING FROM BASES IN SOUTHERN LEBANON. AT YESTERDAY'S MEETING PRESIDENT HELOU AND MR. KARAMI ARE SAID TO HAVE DISCUSSED THE FORMATION OF A LEBANESE DELEGATION TO GO TO CAIRO FOR TALKS WITH PRESIDENT NASSER IN AN ATTEMPT TO END THE DISPUTE.

THEY WERE ALSO BELIEVED TO HAVE CONSIDERED THE FORMATION OF A NEW GOVERNMENT. MR. KARAMI'S ORIGINAL CABINET RESIGNED LAST APRIL AFTER BLOODY RIOTS OVER THE COMMAND ISSUE AND HE RESIGNED AGAIN LAST WEEK AS CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER AFTER FAILING TO FORM A NEW ADMINISTRATION.

THERE WAS NO WORD ON THE TALKS BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR AND PRESIDENT HELOU.

THE PRESENT CRISIS DEVELOPED QUICKLY LAST WEEK WHEN ARAB NATIONS SEVERELY CRITICISED LEBANESE ARMY ATTACKS ON THE GUERILLAS. A LARGE SEGMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN-MOSLEM POPULATION OF THE LEBANON FEARS LARGE SCALE REPRISALS FROM ISRAEL FOR THE COMMAND RAIDS.