Qurei takes 'wall' protest abroad

The visit comes ahead of hearings into the barrier in The Hague

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has begun a tour which will see his first official visits outside the Middle East since taking office.

At talks in Europe, he is expected to seek support for his strong opposition to the barrier Israel is building in the West Bank.

Israel says the barrier is vital for security, but Palestinians say it is a device to seize their land.

The tour began in Cairo, where Mr Qurei said he hoped to meet his Israeli counterpart by the end of the month.

Mr Qurei is due to arrive in Dublin on Monday, followed by a visit to Rome where he will see Italian government and Vatican officials. After a brief return to the West Bank, he is set to visit Brussels, London, Paris and Berlin.

"This is a preliminary trip for the prime minister to discuss and explain the circumstances regarding the peace process and exchange views over the roadmap [fro peace] and the wall," his cabinet chief, Hassan Abu Libdeh, told AFP news agency.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague is due to begin hearings into the legality of the barrier - described by Mr Qurei as "racist" - on 23 February.

Mr Sharon has begun a series of cabinet meetings to discuss his proposals for a unilateral disengagement from the Palestinian territories.

Israeli officials say the proposals, which apparently revise the route of the West Bank barrier in an effort to win US support, will be presented to American envoys shortly.