Leaders of Paris aid conference for PA urge donors for more

The leaders of a Paris aid conference last month for the Palestinians said total pledges had reached US$7.7 billion over three years, and pressed for further efforts from donors.

The figure was provided in a statement from the conference co-chairs late Tuesday, which said budgetary support for the Palestinian Authority for 2008 still has to be confirmed.

The co-chairs - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and Middle East envoy Tony Blair - said there had been some improvement in the Palestinian economy since the Dec. 17 conference, but that further efforts by all parties are required.

They also encouraged donors who are still firming up their support to give some to security projects for financing equipment, infrastructure, and training of personnel, according to the statement.

Right after the conference, organizers announced total international pledges of US$7.4 billion, but the figure increased as donors fine-tuned their support. The money is for budgetary support, development projects and humanitarian assistance by aid groups, and it comes in support of a plan laid out by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' government.

The pledges topped the Palestinian Authority's own appeal for US$5.6 billion over three years and were seen by many as an endorsement of the authority and its push for an independent state.