Orange boss Stephane Richard

Orange boss Stephane Richard has accepted an invitation by the Israeli government to visit the country after a boycott row, a spokesman for the French telecoms firm told AFP, adding that the trip would allow the CEO to "clarify the misunderstanding".

Richard will travel to the Jewish state "soon" to "provide all the necessary precisions to put an end to this controversy and reaffirm the group's commitment," the spokesman added.