French message to Arafat

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has received a message from French President Jacques Chirac in which the French president reiterates his support for the Palestinian leadership.

Arafat's advisor, Nabil Abu Roudinah, said that the chairman of the Middle East and North Africa department at the French Foreign Ministry met on Sunday night with Arafat in Ramallah and handed him the message. Abu Roudinah praised the "positive and constructive" nature of the talks held with the French envoy.

No information was reported on the content of the message.

The French envoy visited Syria and Lebanon and held on Monday talks in Israel.