Egypt, Israel schedule more autonomy talks

September 25, 1981

Egypt and Israel ended two days of talks on Palestinian autonomy by announcing a timetable for future negotiations and pledging to explore all avenues to find an agreement.

A joint statement made clear that the talks, the first in 16 months, had not solved any of the major disagreements on a system of self-rule for the 1.2 million Palestinians in Israeli-occupied territory.

It said teams of officials would meet five times during the next four months to tackle the issue "rigorously, creatively, and with an open mind."