TOKYO HOSTS DONORS' CONFERENCE ON PALESTINE THIS WEEK

       Tokyo, 1 Rabiul Akhir 1434/11 February 2013 (IINA/MINA) – Donors will gather in Tokyo this week to discuss support for the Palestinian Authority. Among the topics expected at the meeting is financial aid.
       Japan and the Palestinian Authority will co-host the conference, titled, ”Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development,” which will take place on Feb. 14, according to IINA report monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA), Monday.
        Countries in Asia, such as Brunei Darussalam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore and Vietnam, are expected to participate. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is also expected to attend.
        The World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the United Nations, the U.N. Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and members of the Arab League, which pledged $100 million in December to cover gaps in the Palestinian Authority’s budget, are also among the prospective participants.
        The meeting’s main goal is to garner more support for the Palestinian Authority, which is still reeling from the effects of Israel’s freeze on tax transfers in November, after the Palestinians successfully achieved nonmember observer status at the United Nations.
       The move has left the Palestinian Authority in dire financial straits, affecting the pay of government employees and, potentially, the region’s stability and development. Participants will also discuss “effective ways of cooperation” to promote stability and peace in the Middle East, according to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
       They are expected to pledge continued support to the Palestinian Authority in terms of grants, economic aid and other kinds of assistance, NHK World reported. (T/P05/E1)

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)