The US and the EU both signalled today they will continue to deal with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat despite Israel's decision to sever all ties with him.
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In almost identical comments, made after intensive overnight consultations between Washington and Brussels, US Assistant Secretary of State Mr William Burns and EU foreign policy chief Mr Javier Solana said Mr Arafat remained their interlocutor.
"We consider President Arafat the leader of the Palestinian people and will continue to work with the Palestinian leadership as it must make very difficult choices involved in moving against those extremist groups that threaten the interests of the Palestinian people," Mr Burns told reporters in Damascus.
Mr Solana said: "For us in the EU, the chairman of the Palestinian Authority continues to be the representative of the Palestinian people and therefore we will continue dealing with him."
Israel cut ties with Arafat after the latest wave of deadly Palestinian attacks on Jewish settlers and it unleashed F-16 jets on Palestinian targets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces advanced to within 100 metres of Arafat's headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah after declaring the Palestinian leader irrelevant.