Arafat will declare Palestinian state at due time

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat today called on Europe to carry out a more effective role towards Israel, to force it to resume Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

In a press conference he held today after meeting with German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, Arafat was quoted as saying that Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu should give up his policy which obstructs Palestinian-Israeli negotiations and agree to US proposals on redeploying the Israeli troops in the West Bank.

Replying to a question on declaring a Palestinian state, Arafat said that Palestinians own this right according to international agreements pertaining to the establishment of their independent state in May 1999. "We will declare this state at that date," Arafat said.

For his part, Kinkel stressed the determination of the European countries to pursue a more active role, yet noted that the European states do not want to compete with the US in the mediation efforts. "We are looking forward to London's next meeting," he said in regard to the meeting to be held on May 4 between the Israelis and the Palestinians under US auspices in London.

The German Foreign minister stressed the need for redeployment of Israeli troops in the West Bank and halting the settlement construction in Abu Ghneim mount.