NEW DELHI, April 9: Palestine President Yasser Arafat arrived here on Friday night to exchange views with the Indian leadership on matters of mutual interest including the Middle-East peace process and the situation in the region. He is here on an unscheduled less than 24-hour visit.Arafat will meet President K R Narayanan and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Saturday during his day-long official visit. He is also scheduled to call on Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Vajpayee will host a lunch in honour of the visiting dignitary, External Affairs Ministry said.
Earlier in the day, he was in Bangladesh where he met and held talks with Bangladeshi leaders as part of his tour to assess world opinion on whether he should declare an Independent state on May 4.
Arafat was greeted at the airport by President Shahabuddin Ahmed and PM Sheikh Hasina Wajed after arriving from Vietnam, witnesses said. Official sources said Arafat held talks with Sheikh Hasina at the airport immediately afterwards. Arafattold the Bangladeshi Premier that he had received a good response to the proposal of Palestinian independence.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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