Clinton trip announced, Shalala to visit Beirut to assert importance of Lebanese-US
Regional-Israel-USA, Politics, 11/27/1998

The White House press secretary announced Friday that US President Bill Clinton will travel to the Middle East on December 12-15.

He said that Clinton would meet during the visit to the West Bank, Gasa and Israel with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as "speak to the Israeli and Palestinian people about the importance of the Wye Agreement and the need to continue to support the Middle East Peace Process."

Meanwhile, the White House has announced that the US health secretary Donna Shalala will visit Lebanon next month about the 5th as a personal representative to the US President Bill Clinton.

It indicated that Shalala, who is an American of Lebanese descent is the one who assumes the highest position for an American of Arab origin in the US administration, will be the first American secretary to visit Lebanon since the Lebanese President Emil Lahoud took his oath as President to Lebanon on Tuesday.

Shalala whose grand parents emigrated from Lebanon will meet with President Lahoud and other Lebanese officials. She will also inspect health institutions in Lebanon and will give a speech before students of the American University in Beirut AUB.

Previous Stories:
  Cook, Netanyahu discuss peace process   (11/27/1998)
  Arafat pledges to use only peaceful means to settle disputes with Israel   (11/18/1998)
  US criticizes escalation of Palestinian - Israeli crisis   (11/17/1998)

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