Arafat in Paris

The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, has held talks in Paris with the French President, Jacques Chirac.

After their talks, both leaders expressed support for America's efforts to get the stalled peace process moving.

Mr Arafat said he had great confidence in President Clinton, who he is due to meet on Thursday.

While in Paris, Mr Arafat is also launching a new investment fund initiated by the World Bank to provide private capital for businesses in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service