Foreign Minister Kanerva to participate in the Conference of Donors for the Palestinian Territories in Paris

Press release 283/2007
14 December 2007

Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva will participate in the Conference of Donors for the Palestinian Territories to be held in Paris on 17 December. The conference was convened by France. Invitations were extended to 90 delegations representing countries and international organisations assisting the Palestinians. The participants will also include, for instance, foreign ministers of several other European countries and United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as well as President Mahmud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad of the Palestinian Authority, and Foreign Minister of Israel Tzipi Livni.

The purpose of the conference is to give momentum to the development of the peace process launched at the Annapolis Middle East Peace Conference. The participating countries will also announce their financial contributions in support of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinians. Finland’s pledge at the conference will be 13 MEUR for 2008.

Additional information: First Secretary Keijo Karjalainen, tel. +358 400 178 986, and Advisor to the Minister Tanja Jääskeläinen, tel. +358 40 511 3786