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al-fateh
04-17-2006, 02:12 PM
Russia Offers Aid, PA Urges Arabs to Honor Pledges


Lavrov vowed urgent financial aid to the Palestinian government. (Reuters)


MOSCOW/CAIRO, April 15, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Russia, breaking with a US-led boycott campaign, promised on Saturday, April 15, to offer aid to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority, which appealed to Arab countries to honor their aid pledges.

"(Palestinian President) Mahmoud Abbas highly appreciated the intention of Russia, confirmed by (Russian Foreign Minister Sergei) Lavrov, to grant the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority urgent financial aid in the nearest time," read a Foreign Ministry statement cited by Reuters.

The aid promise came during a phone call between Lavrov and the Palestinian leader on the Mideast peace process, it added.

The United States and the European Union have suspended direct aid to the Palestinian Authority.

Washington has also barred American citizens and organizations from business dealings with the PA.

On Tuesday, April 11, Lavrov dismissed as a "mistake" the aid suspension campaign against the new government.

Russia, a member of the Mideast Quartet which also groups the US, EU and UN, is the only major power to have received a Hamas delegation on an official visit since its landslide January election win.

Honor Pledges


"The representatives of the 22-member organization have asked the government of Hamas to accept the Arab initiative," Zahar said.


In a related development, Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar urged Arab countries Saturday to fulfill their promises of financial aid to the Palestinians, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"We are not only looking to follow up on Arab aid, we would like to increase it because the Israeli occupation bans us from accessing the 60 million dollars per month," he told representatives of Arab states at the Arab League's Cairo headquarters.

Israel has blocked the monthly customs transfer worth $ 50 million it collects on behalf of the PA.

"Our Arab brothers intend to help us but we must ensure a mechanism of transparency," Zahar said.

Arab governments have promised financial aid to the Palestinians during their summit in Khartoum late March.

They have also urged the international community "not to punish the Palestinians" for voting Hamas into power.

Former US president Jimmy Carter cautioned on February 20, the United States and Israel against punishing the Palestinian people for electing the resistance group.

Arab Initiative

The pan-Arab organization, meanwhile, called on the Palestinian government to adopt the Arab peace initiative with Israel.

"The representatives of the 22-member organization have asked the government of Hamas to accept the Arab initiative," Zahar told reporters after a meeting with Amr Moussa, the League chief.

He said that he would relay the message to his government "to examine the issue."

The Arab initiative, adopted at the Beirut summit in 2002, reaffirms the readiness of Arab countries to normalize ties with Israel in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from Arab territories occupied since 1967.

The proposal, renewed during the Khartoum summit, was repeatedly rejected by Israel.
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acapulcogold
04-17-2006, 04:00 PM
Nice. One pauper without two nickels to rub together helping another pauper. :giggling:
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