UN’s top Middle East envoy meets with senior Palestinian, Israeli officials

The United Nations top envoy to the Middle East today met with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat and was slated to meet later with senior officials from the Israeli Government, as well as representatives of countries helping to promote the peace process in the region, a UN spokesperson in New York said Tuesday.

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East, Terje Roed-Larsen, met this morning with Mr. Arafat in the West Bank town of Ramallah to discuss the Israeli withdrawal today from Palestinian-controlled areas, according to the spokesperson.

Later Tuesday, Mr. Roed-Larsen – accompanied by officials from other members of the so-called “quartet” on Middle East issues: the UN, European Union, United States and Russian Federation – was to host a dinner for Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and visiting United States envoy Gen. Anthony Zinni.

The UN was also told that a tripartite security meeting – with representation from the United States, Israel and the Palestinian Authority – is planned for tomorrow, the spokesperson said.