Arafat to start US-European tour on Thursday

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat will start a U.S.-European tour on Thursday for talks with a number of high-ranking officials, Radio Palestine said on Sunday.

Representative of the Palestinian liberation organization in Washington, Hassan Abdulrahman told the Radio that during his visit to Washington, Arafat will meet the U.S. President Bill Clinton, the U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and the US officials in charge of the peace process, in addition to representatives of economic, political and social institutions and the Arab ambassadors to Washington.

Abdulrahman added that Arafat's three-day visit to Washington is in response to an invitation by Clinton. The two men will mainly discuss the peace process, the final status' negotiations and means to activate the U.S. role in the Peace Process.

The pointed out that during the visit, the Palestinian-U.S. committee and its technical subcommittees will meet to discuss means of promoting cooperation.

Israeli political sources said a tripartite summit might bring together in Washington this weekend Clinton, Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

Arafat is to head to Brussels on January 23, following his visit to Washington, where he will meet leaders of the European Union (EU) to discuss the political developments and means to activate the European role in pushing forward the peace negotiations with Israel.