Gorbachev: Problem worse without Arafat

The last president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Mikhail Gorbachev, declared on Tuesday that the Middle East peace process will be more difficult to solve if Yasser Arafat is not part of the process.

Mikhail Gorbachev made his remarks at a meeting of the Barcelona Rotary Club in a speech which declared that the European Union had an important role to play in the conflict and that the USA was not the “only player, despite the fact that what the US administration decides can be decisive”.

Mikhail Gorbachev considers that all the players currently involved should be included in the peace process, which should not be too hasty. He also stated that the Palestinian people should elect their own leaders, echoing the general opinion in the European Union, which goes against Washington and Tel Aviv, which want to oust Arafat and deal with a new leadership.

Timofei BYELO PRAVDA.Ru