Rice to attend Paris Palestinian donors conference Sunday

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will attend a conference in Paris on Sunday and Monday aimed at offering financial and other aid to the Palestinians as they pursue peace talks with Israel.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters that "Rice will travel to Paris December 16 and 17 for an international donors conference in supporting Palestinian reforms in institution-building."
The conference comes amid the first serious Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations in seven years that were launched at an international conference in Annapolis, Maryland on November 27.
Some 90 delegations are expected at the conference.
Rice will also hold talks with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, McCormack said.
The four represent the Middle East quartet, which drafted the roadmap for peace that calls for a Palestinian state living in peace with a secure Israel.
sl-lc/pmh

12/12/2007 18:26 GMT