Arafat to visit France

The Palestinian official in charge of planning and international cooperation at the Palestinian Authority Nabil Shaath on Sunday stressed that the chairman of the Palestinian Authority will pay an official visit to Paris on May 23 at the invitation of the French President Jacques Chirac.

Shaath told journalists that Arafat will meet in Paris with the French President Chirac and with the prime minister Lionel Jospin.

Shaath, on the other hand, said that he will next week resume his European tour in order to explain the Palestinian view points regarding developments in the occupied territories since the eruption of the Intifada in September, 2000.