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Jordanian Foreign Minister Al-Khatib, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat in the West Bank town of Jericho, Wednesday. (AP)
Last update - 10:55 16/08/2007
Israel to promote 'economic horizon' for future Palestinian state
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Livni, economic horizon 

Israel is working to promote an economic plan to complement the agreement of principles ahead of the regional conference later this year, government sources in Jerusalem said Wednesday. A source said the plan would provide an "economic horizon" with a number of future investment projects when the Palestinian state is declared.

A senior government official said the plan's goal is to "present the Palestinians with economic signposts along with the diplomatic signposts to show what can be accomplished."

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told foreign ministers and other officials in Europe that the plan needed international support. The "strategic" projects Israel has suggested so far include infrastructure improvements such as electricity and water, city planning in the West Bank and Gaza, rehabilitation of sewage systems and the establishment of a "peace corridor" in Jericho.
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Livni has presented the plan to the Quartet's Middle East envoy, Tony Blair, whose work also fits into the economic horizon in terms of his assistance in the building of Palestinian governing institutions.

Blair is to return to the region on September 1 to continue his work, establishing his offices in the American Colony Hotel in East Jerusalem. He is close to putting together a team of 20, including humanitarian aid experts from the United Nations, American diplomats dealing with Israeli-Palestinian relations, and an Israel expert from the British Foreign Office.

A four-way meeting took place Wednesday at Jericho's Intercontinental Hotel between Livni, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdelelah al-Khatib, and the Palestine Liberation Organization's chief of negotiations, Saeb Erekat.

The meeting focused on the initiative to further develop agricultural-industrial cooperation between Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan, dubbed "The Corridor for Peace and Prosperity."

"Efforts on the economic track are not at the expense of the diplomatic dialogue with the PA," Livni said. "Israel has a responsibility to create a diplomatic process and reach an agreement with the Palestinians on the widest possible basis."

Erekat said the economic corridor project showed what reality could be like if "we do not waste time on violence and occupation. With regard to Gaza, Erekat said that "only the Palestinians can help themselves. We are not abandoning the inhabitants of Gaza, and Hamas must apologize and return the situation there to what it was."

The "peace corridor" initiated several months ago by President Shimon Peres when he was vice premier will be one of the foundations of the economic horizon. Produce from Jericho will be marketed abroad via Jordan, and marketing facilities will be established along with the restoration of the Adam Bridge over the Jordan River and the establishment of a new airport on the Jordanian side.

A closing statement on Wednesday's meeting said that the next stage of the project would be in October, with a delegation of experts from each side coming to Jericho for further talks and to set a timetable. A delegation of geologists and environmentalists is also to meet in the coming weeks to determine the best place to establish the project's facilities.

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  1.   "economic horizon" is the year 2099 03:15  |  Wendy 16/08/07
  2.   Excellent! 03:32  |  Eli 16/08/07
  3.   What are the Palestinian State`s borders? 03:50  |  Petteri 16/08/07
  4.   Impressive work! Sounds like the real tuchloss! 03:54  |  Smadar 16/08/07
  5.   Israel to promote palestinian states economic horizon 05:14  |  DCSage 16/08/07
  6.   THE HOLY QURAN AS WRITTEN BY ALLAH IN CHAPTER 17 ,VERSES 104 TO 1 06:51  |  IMAN 16/08/07
  7.   To Wendy#1 07:04  |  Otto Rand 16/08/07
  8.   The wonderful thing about horizons 07:24  |  Natallie Durson 16/08/07
  9.   Stop strangulate the Gaza strip 07:24  |  Gaza resident 16/08/07
  10.   Don`t miss a true opportunity another time 08:43  |  Paolo 16/08/07
  11.   Forced labor camp 08:50  |  keith 16/08/07
  12.   A waste of Time...... 08:53  |  Missknowall 16/08/07
  13.   Prescription for War 08:57  |  Double Click 16/08/07
  14.   The Bride is in a coma ... 09:18  |  Cynical 16/08/07
  15.   A glimp of hope? #3 Petteri 09:31  |  Sebastian 16/08/07
  16.   We are getting close, from a "vision" to a "horizon" 09:55  |  Joe 16/08/07
  17.   First Borders.. 10:02  |  Dolores 16/08/07
  18.   And in return the Arabs promote peace and prosperity for Israel. 10:14  |  Uzi 16/08/07
  19.   Wendy there is going to be a Palestinian state 10:35  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/08/07
  20.   Gaza resident 10:42  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/08/07
  21.   Wrong Headline 10:53  |  isratinian 16/08/07
  22.   None 11:01  |  Yoel 16/08/07
  23.   what a joke 11:01  |  SD 16/08/07
  24.   Palestine should just declare a state 11:03  |  steve 16/08/07
  25.   Here is an equitable and quite practicable diplomatic horizon: 11:18  |  Uzi 16/08/07
  26.   A FALSE PROMISE OF THE FUTURE 11:22  |  indrajaya 16/08/07
  27.   Abother empty jhoax to cover annexation policies 11:24  |  www.kibush.co.il 16/08/07
  28.   Margie #20 (Rafah crossing) 11:24  |  guido 16/08/07
  29.   Guido 11:44  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/08/07
  30.   One has to have helluva nerve to state the problem so ... 12:52  |  zmogus 16/08/07
  31.   #24, Steve - Palestine was declared a State in 1988 13:02  |  A Bethlehemite 16/08/07
  32.   I believe in this Peace 13:14  |  Ronnie Wolman 16/08/07
  33.   #9 Do U expect Israel to open a special transport service for 13:17  |  Alan 16/08/07
  34.   Margie #28 (Rafah crossing, 2nd try) 13:33  |  guido 16/08/07
  35.   This a bogus enterprise which should read `give us more time 13:40  |  lakshmi 16/08/07
  36.   Guido 13:42  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/08/07
  37.   Well, well, well 13:47  |  Judith, haifa 16/08/07
  38.   To "A Bethlehemite" 13:54  |  Paolo 16/08/07
  39.   TODAYS COMEDY SHOW FROM 14:29  |  paul harris 16/08/07
  40.   I think we are two faced 14:39  |  Smile-E 16/08/07
  41.   PETTERI.Pal borders,they were rejected by Arabs. 14:48  |  PETER SM 16/08/07
  42.   Margie in Tel Aviv #19 15:17  |  GABE1 16/08/07
  43.   Another important thing no one has given enough thought about 15:33  |  Judith, Haifa 16/08/07
  44.   to blur, to make indistinct the failures of 2 states solution 15:48  |  Joseph E . 16/08/07
  45.   The future was not for us to see. 16:05  |  Akram Zekaria 16/08/07
  46.   Economic horizon for Palestine 16:13  |  kevin 16/08/07
  47.   Economic horizon for Palestine 16:13  |  kevin 16/08/07
  48.   #27 and someone put the kibosh on it ! 16:19  |  victor hardman 16/08/07
  49.   Their economic horizon is in 21 Arab states. NOT IN OUR COUNTRY 16:21  |  Feiglin Supporter 16/08/07
  50.   Palestinian horizon 16:22  |  kevin 16/08/07
  51.   DOUBLE CLICK.Re Gaza& prescription for war.Read the Hamas charter 16:25  |  PETER.SM 16/08/07
  52.   An Attainable Goal 16:27  |  Tzfonit 16/08/07
  53.   Any dialogue is good dialogue in this case 16:30  |  Peter 16/08/07
  54.   Gabe 16:32  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/08/07
  55.   So Far So Good 16:49  |  Jane 16/08/07
  56.   GET US OUT OF HERE. WE DONT WANT YOUR MONEY USA AND EUROPE!! 17:03  |  Nasar 16/08/07
  57.   Magie #36 (crossings, 2nd try) 17:04  |  guido 16/08/07
  58.   Abbas Seeks Unity With Hamas, Breaking Promise to US Congressmen 17:08  |  Peter 16/08/07
  59.   #35 Lakshmi Arab Violence Against Jews Always the Problem 17:10  |  Non Violence 16/08/07
  60.   guido # 34 The Rafah Crossing 17:10  |  Jeff Northridge 16/08/07
  61.   Margie #54 17:12  |  Gabe1 16/08/07
  62.   The cart and the horse 17:13  |  Tosefta 16/08/07
  63.   Margie & Guido - RAFAH 17:21  |  Mark of Lewiston 16/08/07
  64.   # 43 Judith 17:25  |  Lynn 16/08/07
  65.   If true very good news and very smart thing to do by Israel 17:33  |  Mark B. 16/08/07
  66.   Gazan resident # 9 17:35  |  Lynn 16/08/07
  67.   Mark of Lewsiton #63 17:43  |  Lynn 16/08/07
  68.   MISSING ELEMENT 17:49  |  Mark of Lewiston 16/08/07
  69.   Gabe: worry about your own future, not ours. 17:51  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/08/07
  70.   bad haaretz reporting 17:53  |  Aaron Cohen 16/08/07
  71.   # 21 isratinian 17:55 &