Arafat adheres to announcing Palestinian state on May 4

In his meeting with journalists in Davos on the sidelines of the world economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat stressed his adherence to May 4 as a "sacred" date for the declaration of the Palestinian state.

Arafat indicated that this date is not "a Palestinian. It is rather an international date," in reference to the Oslo agreement, according to which the declaration of the Palestinian state was set.

Meanwhile, In his speech before the conference, the Egyptian president said that his country's policy is based on "continued efforts to achieve peace because peace is not only a moral duty but also a need and an urgent must for a better life for the peoples of the region."