RAMALLAH, West Bank -- German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer met Yasser Arafat here on Wednesday, the first such senior foreign official to visit the diplomatically-isolated Palestinian leader in 10 months, AFP reported.

Arafat told reporters after the meeting the two men had discussed the peace roadmap drawn up by the "quartet" of U.S., UN, EU and Russian diplomats to end the 30-month conflict and create an independent state alongside a secure Israel by 2005.

"Fischer told us there is an agreement to be handed to us in days," Arafat said without giving details.

Fischer made no comment after the talks but headed straight off to a meeting with Arafat's moderate power-sharing Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, who has urged a suspension of attacks on Israel and sweeping reforms. One official in the German delegation said Fischer had told Arafat "that a real breakthrough in the dynamics of change is necessary."

Palestinian officials said this week that Arafat and Abbas had clashed over the reform process, with the new premier, whose appointment was hailed by the international community, even threatening to quit in protest at Arafat's attempts to cling on to power.

Fischer has previously held talks with Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who urged him not to visit Arafat, and was later to meet Palestinian ministers before flying back to Germany.

After meeting with Israeli leaders, Fischer hailed the peace roadmap as "an excellent proposal" and said Palestinian reforms must be supported by Israel and the international community.

Abbas asked for another two weeks in which to form his government and Arafat agreed, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa said. He had originally been given until Thursday to announce his new government lineup. A German official travelling with the foreign minister said that Israeli President Moshe Katsav and Fischer "agreed that Abbas must be supported, especially in the critical initial period of the (reform) process."

Abbas' appointment was hailed by the international community as a step toward reform and a possible resumption of peace talks.

Israel and the United States have called for Arafat's removal from power and pinned their hopes on Abbas' new status relegating the longtime leader to a more symbolic role.

Israel has twice besieged Arafat's headquarters and kept him in diplomatic isolation for more than a year.

The last Western foreign minister to visit him was Dominique de Villepin of France last June. Arafat also called an Israeli air raid on Gaza City overnight which killed seven people, including three persons from the Islamic movement Hamas who were the target of the missile strike, as "an unforgivable crime."

And senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat accused Israel of launching the attack to "sabotage" the push to implement the roadmap, which Israel wants to see heavily amended before being published.