Arafat flies to Saudi Arabia

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat traveled today to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a two-day visit during which he will meet with King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Abdallah Bin Abdul Aziz to discuss the latest developments in the peace process as well as to discuss bilateral relations.

Meanwhile, Arafat said he intends declaring an independent Palestinian state in Gaza Strip and the West Bank in 1999. He said this will come according to the timetable by to which the Palestinians are commited, which is the period five years from signing the peace agreement with Israel.