" Yesterday, on the 18 November 2007 the Norwegian Government and the Palestinian Authority (PA) signed an agreement worth USD 31 million in budget support to the Palestinian people. The support is a direct follow-up of the announcement by Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) meeting in New York in September to provide budget support to the PA.
The support will cover salaries and recurrent expenditures within the public civil service, including civil police. This will help the PA pay salaries and deliver basic services to its own population in areas such as health and education. The support will also contribute to improve law and order in the Palestinian society.
The Norwegian contribution is a strong signal at a critical point in time of Norway's support to President Mahmoud Abbas and the Government of Salam Fayyad in their efforts of Palestinian state- and institutionbuilding. We hope that other donors will follow suit at the international donor conferance in Paris in December."