| The European Commission has begun providing the Palestinians with €300 million in promised aid for public infrastructure, economic programs and refugees. The money was pledged at the Paris aid conference last December, where total pledges for budgetary support, development projects and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians reached €5 billion. EU External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner said Tuesday that the European aid proves the 27-nation bloc's commitment to supporting the Palestinian Authority "in its quest for improving the lives of Palestinian people towards a peace agreement with Israel." |