Arafat hold telephone talks with Chirac

The Palestinian President Yasser Arafat yesterday made a telephone call with the French President Jacque Chirac to discuss latest developments concerning the situation on the Palestinian and Iraqi arenas, according to Arafat's advisor Nabih Abu Rudinah yesterday.

Abu Rudinah said that the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat made a telephone call yesterday with the French President Jacques Chirac during which they exchanged view on current events on the Palestinian and Iraqi arenas and issues pertinent to the so-called "roadmap."

Abu Rudinah added that the French President expressed his support for the international efforts made in order to give a push forward for the "roadmap." He stressed that it was agreed to continue contacts.

On Tuesday, the British foreign minister Jacque Straw said that the "roadmap" for settling the Israeli- Palestinian conflict will be published after appointing and approving all members of the Palestinian government.

On March 14, the US President George Bush announced that the Quartet which includes the US, Russia, the European Union and the UN will announce the "roadmap" after Arafat appoints a prime minister.

On March 19, the second raking man at the PLO Mahmoud Abbas, Abu Mazin accepted the post to be the first prime minister in the Palestinian Authority.

The British prime minister Tony Blair held yesterday evening a summit meeting with the US President George Bush in Camp David during which they discussed the "post Saddam phase" and the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians.