Turkey will participate in the Palestine Donors Conference in Paris on 17 December with a delegation headed by Foreign Minister Ali Babacan.

The Conference also takes on the meaning of being the economic development of Palestine dimension of the Annapolis Conference held in the USA between 25-26 November 2007, with Turkish participation as well, which started the Palestine-Israel peace negotiations with a view to the foundation of the independent Palestinian state by the end of 2008.

It is expected that the participants will declare their financial contributions to the Palestine Reform and Development Program to be prepared and presented to the Conference by the Palestine National Administration to cover the period of 2008 to 2010, with the aim to ensure support to the Palestine economy in terms of sustainable development, the increase of the administrative capabilities of the PNA, and in this way the laying of the institutional groundwork of the Palestinian State, which is envisaged to be set up at the end of the process started in Annapolis.

At the Conference the role of our country in the Middle East region, as well as its support for the resolution of the Palestinian problem, as well as for the establishment of a Palestinian state to live side by side with Israel within recognised and secure borders, will be reaffirmed.