France condemns Arafat isolation

Barnier (right): Present situation "cannot last"

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier has urged Israel to end the isolation of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

After meeting Mr Arafat in Ramallah, Mr Barnier said the living conditions were "not dignifying" for the elected Palestinian leader.

"We consider that this situation cannot last," Mr Barnier added.

Mr Arafat - accused by Israel of orchestrating Palestinian attacks - has been confined to Ramallah since 2001.

Israel played down Mr Barnier's Ramallah talks, which ran against a standing Israeli request to visiting top foreign officials to refrain from meeting Mr Arafat.

'Message of solidarity'

"Considering what he [Arafat] represents, [his situation] is not dignifying for him and is not dignifying for the Palestinian people he represents," Mr Barnier said after the talks with Mr Arafat on Tuesday.

Mr Barnier said brining an end to Mr Arafat's isolation was one aim of his visit - the first by a top Western official in more than a year.

"We think that this situation should come to an end because he [Arafat] is the legitimate and elected president of the Palestinian people," Mr Barnier added.

He also said that he "transmitted... a message of friendship and solidarity" during his talks with the Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei.

Israeli officials played down Mr Barnier talks.

"We have reiterated our policy that basically meeting Chairman Arafat is counterproductive as he continues to be an obstacle [to peace]," a Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.