Brussels, 12/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Middle East Quartet called on Wednesday 11 March for the international community to guarantee that the $1.1 billion promised in aid is paid to support the Palestinian Authority's “important institution-building efforts”. United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov encouraged the Authority to continue its work. They also welcomed the efforts by Palestine and Israel to settle outstanding issues linked to tax and customs revenue collection, and urged resolution as quickly as possible.
Noting “with concern” the increasing fragility of developments on the ground, the Quartet called on the parties to work “constructively” together to take concrete steps to address the Palestinian Authority's fiscal challenges, preserve and build on the Palestinian Authority's institutional gains, and expand economic opportunities for the Palestinian people. The Quartet also encouraged the parties to cooperate to promote the social and economic development of zone C (zones in the West Bank, Gaza and Israeli controlled Jerusalem). It reaffirmed its commitment to examine possible mechanisms that it can actively support going forward to advance peace efforts and strengthen the Palestinian Authority's ability to meet the full range of civil and security needs of the Palestinian people both now and in a future state. The Quartet emphasised the need to continue assisting the Palestinian Authority in building its law enforcement capacity. (CG/transl/.rt)