The London Meeting on Strengthening the Palestinian Authority
At their meeting in Washington in November, President Bush and Prime Minister Blair agreed to mobilize international support behind a plan to ensure that the Palestinians have the political, economic, and security infrastructure they need to create a viable state. In line with this plan, the British Government will host an international meeting in early March which will:
The meeting will be practical, and focused on helping the PA. The commitments set out at the meeting will be two-way. The new PA leadership will make clear its readiness for disengagement and beyond. The international community will make its own commitments to the PA’s future, set firmly in the context of the Roadmap. The meeting will therefore have clear outputs:
Structure and participation: The meeting will be a one-day event in London, chaired by the Prime Minister / Foreign Secretary. It will be held with the full support of the Quartet (US, UN, EU, Russia), whose members will attend, along with the Palestinian Authority, plus Foreign Ministers (or equivalent) from Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Norway and the World Bank. On the EU side, there will be the EU troika plus the EU members of the G8. Israel will not participate in the meeting itself, but will be fully consulted. http://www.miftah.org |