Visit of Prime Minister Begin of Israel White House Statement.

Prime Minister Begin and President Carter have completed 2 days of extensive talks, following the talks with President Sadat last week, on the remaining issues in the autonomy negotiations and on global security and the situation in the Middle East. These talks were held in the traditional spirit of friendship and close cooperation which characterizes relations. between the United States and Israel.

President Carter reaffirmed the longstanding American commitment to the security and well-being of Israel and to the achievement of a just and lasting peace between Israel and its neighbors. Prime Minister Begin reiterated Israel's warm friendship for the United States and its strong support for the firm role of the United States in helping to preserve the security and independence of the states of the Middle East.

The President and Prime Minister consider that these talks have been helpful in advancing the autonomy negotiations. They reaffirm their dedication to the Camp David agreement of September 17, 1978, their satisfaction over the smooth implementation of the treaty of peace between Israel and Egypt of March 26, 1979, and their determination to pursue to successful conclusion, within the Camp David framework, the current autonomy negotiations as another step toward a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East. They reiterate their view that lasting peace can be achieved in the Middle East only through a comprehensive settlement.

Prime Minister Begin reaffirmed the objective set out in his and President Sadat's letter to President Carter of March 26, 1979, to do everything possible to reach agreement by May 26, 1980, the 1-year goal they set for themselves in that letter. President Carter reaffirmed the determination of the United States to do everything it appropriately can to assist Israel and Egypt to achieve that goal. To this end, it has been agreed, following consultations with the Government of Egypt, that the negotiating delegations of Egypt, Israel, and the United States will meet for accelerated negotiations in both Israel and Egypt, beginning before the end of April in Herzliya.

Prime Minister Begin and President Carter affirmed the determination of their two countries to continue to work closely together in every sphere and, in particular, in the joint effort they have undertaken together with President Sadat to bring a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace to the Middle East.

The Prime Minister and the President were joined for their discussions on the Israeli side by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yitzhak Shamir; the Minister of Interior, Yosef Burg; the Ambassador of Israel to the United States, Ephraim Evron; and their advisers. On the American side the President was joined by the Vice President, Walter Mondale; the Secretary of State, Cyrus Vance; the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski; the Personal Representative of the President for the Middle East negotiations, Sol Linowitz; the Ambassador of the United States to Israel, Samuel Lewis; and their advisers.