Palestinian Finance Minister Shukri Bishara and French Consul General in Jerusalem Rene Troccaz signed an agreement to support the Palestinian 2020 budget.
Under the deal, France contributed 8 million euros towards funding the Palestinian National Development Plan and consolidating state institution building.
Bishara commended France for its integrated support for several vital sectors, such as water, energy and the private sector. He noted that the French government offers soft loans and grants to support the development of private enterprises and the education sector.
The minister also praised Paris for its rejection of Israel’s illegal impending plan to apply Israeli sovereignty to its illegal settlements and to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
For his part, Troccaz affirmed that his country would continue to support the Palestinian budget in addition to various sectors, underlining his government’s readiness to continue its efforts to develop the Palestinian economy.