Chirac: Sharon's conditions are inapplicable

The French President Jacques Chirac has criticized the conditions imposed by the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon on the chairman of the Palestinian territories Yasser Arafat and considered that as inapplicable.

Upon receiving on Friday at the Paris Elysee palace diplomats who came to congratulate him on the new year, Chirac said that Israel has not to link the resumption of the dialogue with inapplicable conditions. He expressed his hope that the Israeli and Palestinian sides will meet on the table of negotiations and the US to fully obliged by cooperating with Europe to impose this option because it is the only way.