RAMALLAH, 11 November 2005 — British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown used a visit to Israel and the West Bank yesterday to discuss ways to regenerate the Palestinian economy battered by five years of violence.
Brown’s visit was rescheduled after he was summoned back to London Wednesday for a parliamentary vote on anti-terrorism legislation.
In Britain’s capacity as rotating president of the European Union and the Group of Eight, Brown met Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei and Finance Minister Salam Fayad in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
“The aim of this visit is to take advantage of Britain’s role as president of the European Union and G-8 over ways to help the Palestinian economy in the next three years, particularly with infrastructure projects,” Fayad said.
“There is a meeting of minds between us concerning the aid that we need urgently to lift the Palestinian economy out of doldrums,” he added.
In Tel Aviv, Brown later presided over the first public meeting between Israeli Finance Minister Ehud Olmert and Fayad. He also addressed industry leaders and businessmen, before a scheduled private meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
“The aim is to help bring about peace ... to bring economic regeneration to the area, the Palestinian areas and Israel,” said a treasury spokeswoman, admitting that efforts were focused on the Gaza Strip and West Bank.