HOLY FATHER TO RECEIVE YASSER ARAFAT THURSDAY

VATICAN CITY, DEC 17, 1996 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration today:

"The president of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat - who is in Rome to participate in the meeting 'Bethlehem 2000: A City to Re-Evaluate,' promoted by the mayor of Rome and the director general of UNESCO - will be received in audience by the Holy Father John Paul II the morning of Thursday, December 19. immediately afterwards, he will also have a work meeting with Archbishop Jean- Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States."
OP/AUDIENCE ARAFAT/NAVARRO-VALLS VIS 961217 (100)