EU pledges to increase aid to Palestine

Palestine’s ambassador to the European Union, Abdel Rahim al-Farra, said that EU officials informed him that following the signing of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement and ending the division, there will be an increase in the financial support from the EU to the Palestinian government.

The ambassador told Voice of Palestine Radio that EU’s Foreign Affairs Council is going to hold a meeting to discuss the current Palestinian reconciliation and the enabling of the legitimate government to carry out its governmental responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.

He confirmed that he was informed by the Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn that it is time to initiate the development projects in the Gaza Strip.

According to Farra, Hahn stressed the necessity for launching the $600 million water purification plant in the Gaza Strip, adding that this amount will be collected during a meeting of donor countries in Brussels soon.

Farra welcomed the EU Missions statement, which hailed the signing of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement that ended any talk of a Palestinian division, saying: “There was a significant reaction to developments in Palestinian reconciliation.”

Source: PNN