site.btaForeign Minister Mitov Participates in Donor Conference on Reconstructing Gaza

Foreign Minister Mitov Participates in Donor Conference on Reconstructing Gaza

Cairo, October 13 (BTA) - Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel
Mitov participated in a donor conference on Palestine and the
reconstruction of Gaza, which took place in Cairo on Sunday on
the initiative of Norway and Egypt. The forum was aimed at
collecting resources for reconstructing the Gaza Strip and
sending a clear political signal for the need of progress
towards lasting peace between Palestine and Israel, the Foreign
Ministry said in a press release Monday.

In his speech at the conference, Minister Mitov underscored the
significance of a joint Palestinian governance of the territory
of both Gaza and the West Bank, which would be a serious step
forward in the context of the Middle East peace process. He
called on Israel and the Palestinians to return to the
negotiating table so as to achieve a final and lasting solution,
based on the principle of two independent states.

As for the present situation in Gaza, Mitov expressed the hope
that the resources collected at the conference will be spent
adequately, and underscored that the monitoring mechanism
planned by the Palestinian government is of significant
importance. Bulgaria will contribute to the reconstruction of
the humanitarian situation in Gaza through the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.


The Gaza reconstruction conference was co-chaired by UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, EU High Representative for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, the
foreign ministers of Italy, France, Japan and Jordan, Quartet on
the Middle East Representative Tony Blair, and League of Arab
States Secretary General Nabil El Araby.

Within the donor conference, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister held
bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Egypt, Palestine
and Algeria.

Mitov and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed the
problems before the Middle East peace process and the serious
role played by Cairo in the last months. The host assured Mitov
that as of October 20 the Palestinian and Israeli delegations
resume their meetings in Cairo.

Other topics discussed at the meeting were matters of bilateral
interest. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister expressed support for
the transition that Egypt is going through. Minister Shoukry
said he counts on Bulgaria's cooperation within the dialogue
with the EU for the signing of an agreement between his country
and the Union. The two ministers agreed to accelerate the
procedure of registering Bulgaria as a wheat exporter in Egypt,
as well as that Bulgarian companies will participate in the big
Egyptian project for expanding the capacity and capabilities of
the Suez Canal.

At Mitov's meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad
Al-Malki, the Palestinian side expressed gratitude for the
Bulgarian Foreign Minister's participation in the donor
conference, as well as for the contribution that Bulgaria will
make. Riad Al-Malki underscored that the new government works
actively for achieving maximum transparency in the spending of
the resources for Gaza.

Minister Mitov expressed his country's support for the efforts
for resuming the negotiations as the only option for a lasting
peace. He underscored that Bulgaria as a EU Member State is
ready to cooperate, within its abilities, for renewing the
negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

At his bilateral meeting with Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane
Lamamra, Mitov expressed the opinion that there is a serious
trade and economic potential between the two countries. It was
agreed that a business forum will be organized in Sofia during
the next joint commission on economic cooperation, so as to
intensify the contacts between the two countries' business
circles.

Mitov and Lamamra also discussed Algeria's initiative for
settlement of the crisis in Libya. The Algerian Foreign Minister
said that a series of meetings have been held between Libya's
neighbouring countries.