Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been invited to meet Pope John Paul II next month to discuss the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, officials and reports said today.

The meeting was scheduled to take place June 7, two days before Mahathir's trip to Switzerland and Luxembourg, the New Straits Times said.

The invitation was extended by the 82-year-old pope in recognition of Mahathir as a leading Muslim leader whose moderate voice has influenced the Muslim world, the newspaper said.

A government official who declined to be named confirmed the report.

Apart from the pope, Mahathir will also meet other leaders at the Vatican in the first visit by a Malaysian leader.

The newspaper said the meeting would focus on the escalating Palestinian-Israeli crisis. Mahathir's trip would help change some of the negative perceptions of Islam by leaders of other faiths, it said.

"The invitation also acknowledges Mahathir as a leading Muslim leader whose voice cannot be ignored," an official was quoted as saying.

"Based on Mahathir's track record, Muslims, not only in Malaysia but also in other parts of the world, can expect him to be their voice when meeting the pope."

Inter-faith discussions

The pope has previously engaged Muslim leaders in inter-faith discussions but had mostly confined his meetings with those from the Arab world.

The 76-year-old Southeast Asian veteran leader, who is a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and supported the US-led anti-terrorism war, earlier this month visited the United States. Mahathir is due to return to Kuala Lumpur late Friday after a four-day trip to Japan and South Korea. He is scheduled to be in Geneva from June 9-10 to attend the International Labour Organisation conference, after which he would proceed to Luxembourg on June 11-12, officials said.