Japan pledges extra $100m for Palestine

Japan has pledged an extra $100 million in aid to Palestine, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said today after a meeting with…

Japan has pledged an extra $100 million in aid to Palestine, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said today after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Japan has given Palestine $760 million in aid since 1993 and an additional $60 million in special aid following the death in November last year of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Mr Abbas arrived in Japan yesterday for a three-day visit that is the first by any Palestinian leader since Mr Arafat came in 2000.

He leaves Japan on Tuesday for China and is set to meet with US President George Bush on May 26th in Washington.

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In an interview yesterday, Mr Abbas said Japan should continue to support Palestine, both economically and politically, as it moves towards the establishment of an independent nation in a peaceful Middle East.