Solana to visit Israel shortly

An official at the European Union on Friday in Jerusalem said that the higher commissioner for the foreign policy at the European Union Javier Solana will visit Israel shortly.

On April 4, Israel refused to permit Solana and the French foreign minister Josip Picqui, whose country is currently presiding over the rotating presidency of the European Union to meet with the chairman of the Palestinian authority Yasser Arafat after they had arrived in the Palestinian territories.

At that time, the two European officials decided to cancel a meeting which was due with the Israeli prime minister Ariel and they had left Israel the day they arrived in it.