LISBON, April 24: European leaders should stop visiting Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat if they want to help the Mideast peace process, a top US state department official said in an interview published here on Thursday.

“The more European prime ministers go visit Arafat, the more Arafat will feel tempted to interfere in a negative way” in the establishment of a new Palestinian government, US Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Elizabeth Jones told the Publico daily.

After days of wrangling and intense international pressure, Yasser Arafat and Palestinian prime minister-designate Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday reached a last-minute compromise on a new cabinet.

US President George Bush has vowed to publish an international “road map” for peace in the Middle East as soon as a Palestinian government is in place.

The road map has been penned by the diplomatic “quartet” for Middle East peace — made up of the European Union, Russia, the United States and the United Nations. It envisages creating a Palestinian state by 2005.

Washington has welcomed Wednesday’s agreement, but has held off from releasing the peace plan until Palestinian lawmakers confirm the deal.

“We have a road map and are willing to work with (Israeli Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon and with Mazen to apply it. But we cannot do that until Abu Mazen has his cabinet running,” said Jones.—AFP