Brussels / Kananaskis, 27/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the Commission decided to finance a EUR 5 million programme with a view to providing immediate aid to the rehabilitation of the administrative infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority (the cost of basic office equipment and information technology destroyed by the Israeli attacks is estimated at 15.7 million). Financed by the EU's Rapid Reaction Mechanism and conducted in close coordination with the programmes of the World Bank, UNDP and bilateral donors of the EU, the programme aims to restore the budgetary management and accountability of the Palestinian Authority. It is essential for the Palestinian Authority to continue to comply successfully with the transparency and other conditions attached to EU assistance, states a press release. The programme comprises the provision of information technology and office equipment to key ministries of the Palestinian Authority (Health, Transport, Finance).
The situation in the Middle East was the focal point of the opening of the G8 Summit in Kananaski, attended also by Jose Maria Aznar, in his capacity as President of the European Council, and European Commission President Romano Prodi. On this occasion, only the Japanese Prime Minister, Koizumi, is said to have backed the appeal reiterated by George Bush for President Arafat's departure from office (Mr Arafat has, however, announced he will be running for the elections scheduled for early next year).