- I was greatly saddened by the news of President Yasser Arafat’s death. Our thoughts and deepest sympathy go today to the Palestinian people and to President Arafat’s family and close friends, said Foreign Minister Jan Petersen.

- We will remember President Arafat above all for his courageous decision to stop the guerrilla warfare and embark on a peace process,” the Foreign Minister continued.

President Arafat has been the chief symbol of the Palestinians’ struggle to achieve their own state for more than 40 years. He started as a guerrilla leader, but then took the decisive steps that led to the PLO’s recognition of the state of Israel and to the Oslo Accords in 1993, which brought the Palestinian leadership home from its many years in exile. For these efforts he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, together with then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.

- With President Arafat’s death, the Palestinian people have lost a unifying leader. The international community must help to ensure that the election of a new president takes place peacefully and in accordance with accepted standards, said Mr. Petersen.