EU representative to the Palestinian Authority (PA) Christian Burger made the comment after signing an agreement with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah providing the PA with more than 158 million euros (220 million dollars) in budget support.
He said that the EU will continue to support Palestinian state- building efforts if there are clear signs that this money will lead to that goal. "Support can only be sustained if there is a clear indication that a Palestinian state will be established in a foreseeable future," Burger said.
He said the EU financial support is aimed at helping the Palestinians build the institutions necessary to create their independent state, and stressed that this aid will even increase if the state is created to help it develop. However, he said, the EU will have to answer to its taxpayers regarding where their money is going, if the goal of establishing the state is not reached. "Sustaining such a high level of support for a long period of time without reaching the goal will lead to questions, particularly from our tax payers," said Burger.
Fayyad thanked the EU for its financial support, agreeing with Burger that the money should help the Palestinians achieve their final goal, which is to end the Israeli occupation started in 1967 and establish the independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He said the 158.5 million euros he received from the EU were part of the 500 million euro annual EU aid to the Palestinians allocated for 2010. Even though this money will go for budget support to cover salaries and to pay running costs, it also has a goal of helping the Palestinians build their state institutions, said Fayyad, who in August launched a programme to build a fully-fledged Palestinian state within two years in spite of the Israeli occupation.