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France to triple its development assistance to the Palestinian territories

Al-Ayyam newspaper got to know from informed sources that US Secretary of State Rice will announce at Paris Conference to support the Palestinian state the US pledge of around $550 million in support to the PA and the Palestinian people in 2008. US sources said this is the largest amount of funds that Washington pledges to the PA and the Palestinian people and Washington informed several world capitals about its pledge to encourage them to make large financial pledges to the PA. When asked about the support for the coming years as the Palestinian plan presented to the conference covers a period of three years, the sources said the nature of the US political system and the need for the Congress approval on an annual basis on the foreign assistance makes it impossible for the US Administration to make pledges more than one year. The sources added: if the political realities remain like today, the assistance for the coming years won't be less than this large amount of money.

French and Palestinian officials said three main issues will focus on the works of the conference tomorrow: 1) the donors support to the Palestinian development and reform plan; 2) Israel removing the restrictions imposed on the movement of individuals and goods; 3) the PA honoring and implementing its commitments as stipulated in the roadmap. The developments after Annapolis Conference pertaining to the launching of the final status negotiations and the Israeli settlement activities that continue will also have a significant share of the discussions in the conference.

Hind Khoury, the General Commissioner of Palestine in France, said a meeting for the Arab Peace Initiative Follow Up Committee will be held in Paris today, Sunday, in Paris at the Saudi Embassy headquarters to be headed by Saudi Foreign Minister to coordinate the Arab positions on the various issues.

President Abbas arrived in Paris yesterday evening heading a big Palestinian delegation to participate in the conference. Khoury said President Abbas and PM Fayyad will hold bilateral meetings with the delegations participating in the conference and President Abbas will meet with French President tomorrow evening after the conference.

Published at Al Ayyam NewsPaper on December 16, 2007