ARAFAT LAUNCHES QUEST FOR RECOGNITION IN ASIA

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has begun knocking on Asian doors in his quest for worldwide recognition of Palestinian statehood. Thailand's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Prapas Limpabhandu, said that in a two-hour meeting in Cairo Monday, Mr. Arafat urged Bangkok to explicitly recognize Palestine.

The Palestine Liberation Organization leader also emphasized his potential role in helping to solve crises beyond the Middle East, including the conflict in Cambodia. Arafat told Mr. Prapas he plans to visit Japan next month and that he had been invited to Malaysia.