Arafat accepts Barak's proposal

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has announced his consent for the proposal of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to start implementation of the Wye River agreement signed between the two sides in September.

In a statement to reporters on Sunday in Gaza, quoted by Israel Radio, Arafat said Barak had earlier promised him to start the implementation of the agreement in August, but the Palestinian government did not approve Barak's proposal to implement the agreement in September.

Arafat has expressed his conviction that the important thing at the presenet is that Israel start implementing the said agreement.

During his weekly Cabinet meeting Barak had proposed implementation of the agreement as of the beginning of September.