NORWAY AND US ON THE SAME PAGE FOR AHLC

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000506 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2018 TAGS: EAID EU KPAL PGOV PREL IS WBG NO SUBJECT: NORWAY AND US ON THE SAME PAGE FOR AHLC MEETING IN NYC REF: STATE 97393 Classified By: Political Counselor Kristen Bauer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Poloff met with Signe Gilen, Senior Advisor in the MFA Near East section, to deliver reftel points. Gilen will attend the AHLC meeting in NYC along with FM Stoere. Gilen responded very positively to the USG objectives in reftel, as they also reflect GON priorities, especially improving the timing of PA budgetary support and improving access across roadblocks. Gilen said that the key message Norway wanted to impart was that three party cooperation (PA, Israel, and the international community) must be increased. Gilen said that the message out of the AHLC should be "hopeful," but at the same time participants need to be "pushed." Israel and the PA's actions -------------- ¶2. (C) Gilen said Norway recognized Israel's good faith in opening up checkpoints, and further said that if Israel implements the steps that it is internally discussing (especially Tony Blair's 13th of May package) that will be good progress. She mentioned the opening of the checkpoint at Nablus as a particularly good step. On the PA side, Norway is happy with improved budget control and fewer government workers, but some infrastructure projects appear to be 'stuck.' Economic measures essential -------------- ¶3. (C) Gilen stressed several times the issue of infrastructure development in Gaza and the West Bank, and that key items necessary for such development were not on the Israeli lists of importable items. Thus, while it's good that an increased number of trucks are passing through checkpoints, this does not tell the whole story. Gilen said further that the five meetings in the joint economic committee were a sign of good faith. Gilen fully agreed that lack of coordination between and among donors and the PA was leading the PA to a "crisis every month," and this financial issue is of key importance. WHITNEY