Zinni, Powell confer with Arafat

An American official has announced that the US envoy to the Middle east started on Friday his meeting with the chairman of the Palestinian authority Yasser Arafat in Ramullah.

News reports said the aim of the visit is to prepare for the visit to be held by the US secretary of state Colin Powell next week to the Middle East.

Meantime, Arafat on Friday at dawn received a telephone call from the US secretary of state Colin Powell.

The Israeli radio said that the telephone call dealt with the recent declaration made by the US President George Bush and the forthcoming meeting between Arafat and the US envoy Anthony Zinni.

On the other hand, the Palestinian authority issued a statement in which it welcomed President Bush's declaration and said it is committed to this declaration unconditionally as well as to the Arab peace initiative.