Mr Yasser Arafat arrived in South Africa today and began talks with President Mr Thabo Mbeki before a Non-Aligned Movement meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinian president will attend meetings tomorrow in Pretoria of the Non-Aligned Movement's Committee on Palestine, chaired by President Mbeki.Mr Mbeki is the current president of the movement, founded in 1955 to separate developing nations from the superpowers.
"South Africa has a very important role to play as chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement. President Mbeki could make a significant contribution in this regard," Mr Arafat told reporters on arrival outside Pretoria.
Deputy South African Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Aziz Pahad said the committee would discuss how best to bring peace to the Middle East.
Bangladesh, which will attend the talks, wants officials from the 113-nation grouping to visit Washington to work out proposals on protecting Palestinian civilians caught in violence in the West Bank and Gaza.
The Non-Aligned Movement's Committee on Palestine includes Algeria, Bangladesh, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Senegal, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Palestinian Authority.