Italian president confers with Arafat

Italian President Carlo Ciampi met today in Rome with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat who briefed him on the general framework of the Palestinian-Israeli agreement on implementing the Wye River agreement.

The Italian president said the whole Mediterranean region will have the same peace and cooperation prevailing among the European peoples, who had launched several battles and was then able to come together and maintain building up. The Italian President added that he told Arafat that he will shortly visit Israel and the Palestinian self-rule areas.

Following his meeting with the Italian president, Arafat met with Italian Premier Massimo D'Alema. Arafat is expected to meet tomorrow with Pope John Paul II after he attends the signing ceremony of a memorandum for implementing the Wye river agreement in Sharm el-Sheikh. Arafat arrived in Rome earlier in the day.