Germany is to provide 200 million euros (290 million dollars) for Palestinian aid projects as part of its efforts to shore up the Mideast peace process, it was announced Sunday. The pledge will be made on Monday at an international donors conference taking place in Paris, German Economic Assistance Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul said.
The funding will be available for the coming two years, she said in a statement. The minister said the development plan of the Palestinian Authority could only become a reality if certain conditions were met.
These included moving forward with the peace process, removing obstacles in the way of Palestinian economic development, a halt to the construction of Israeli settlements and overcoming the divisions within Palestinian society.
Wieczorek-Zeul said Germany wanted to contribute to improving the "wretched living conditions" of the Palestinians so that they saw a chance for a better future and would be prepared to forgo violence.
But development aid alone was no substitute for a political solution, said the minister, who is attending the Paris talks together with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.