EU official to PA: Financial support won't continue forever

[Jim Sagle]

A European Union official said Tuesday that the EU will continue to sustain financially Palestinian efforts to build their independent state, but cautioned that this support would not continue without clear progress in the peace process with Israel.

EU representative to the Palestinian Authority Christian Burger made the comment after signing an agreement with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah to provide the PA with more than 158 million euros ($220 million) in financial aid.

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"Sustaining such a high level of support for a long period of time without reaching the goal will lead to questions, particularly from our tax payers," said Burger.

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Even though this money will go for budget support to cover salaries and to pay running costs, it also has a goal of helping the Palestinians build their state institutions, said Fayyad, who in August launched a programme to build a fully fledged Palestinian state within two years.

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