Visit to Japan by Mr. Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian Authority and Chairman of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization)

August 15, 2000

Mr. Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian Authority and Chairman of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization), will visit Japan from 17 (Thu) to 18 (Fri) August.
The purpose of Mr. Arafat's visit is to give a direct account to the Government of Japan of his evaluation and impression concerning the outcome of the peace talks held at Camp David from 11 to 24 July under the mediation of U.S. President Bill Clinton, and to exchange views on the future direction of the peace talks. During his stay in Japan, Mr. Arafat will meet with Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and also with Foreign Minister Yohei Kono respectively. Mr. Arafat will be accompanied by Dr. Nabeel Sha'ath, Mr. Taib Abdalhalim, Mr. Hasan Asfour and others.
Mr. Arafat has lately been very active in making diplomatic visits to explain the position of the Palestinian side concerning the Palestinian Track. He has visited Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Tunisia and other Arab countries, as well as France, Russia, Norway and China, and has recently expressed to the Government of Japan his wish to visit this country, which plays an important role in the Middle East peace process. Taking this opportunity, Japan intends to exchange views with Mr. Arafat on steps toward the solution of the core issues of the Middle East peace process, and on the roles that Japan can play in the process.
Mr. Arafat visited Japan in April and October last year (to attend the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee Meeting on Assistance for the Palestinians in which Foreign Minister Kono co-chaired). The forthcoming visit will be therefore his third since last year (out of six visits in total).

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