NORWEGIANS REPORT ON AID TO PA, RESPOND TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000733 SIPDIS FOR NEA/IPA (THOMAS GOLDBERGER AND ANDREW LENTZ) AND EUR/NB E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2019 TAGS: OPDC PREL EAID PGOV WBG EU IS NO SUBJECT: NORWEGIANS REPORT ON AID TO PA, RESPOND TO SECRETARY'S LETTER REF: STATE 120487 Classified By: Political and Economic Counselor Cherrie S. Daniels for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche November 24, along with S's letter for Foreign Minister Stoere, to Signe Guro, Senior Advisor in the Middle East Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The letter was received appreciatively, and Guro discussed Norway's efforts to secure additional funding for the Palestinian Authority (PA) as follows below. ¶2. (C) Guro said that Norway had been focusing on Sweden and Spain, who made a joint declaration on the subject of their contributions on November 4. Spain will give 25 million Euros and Sweden 5 million, through PEGASE (a PA funding mechanism). Spain's first transfer will take place in the beginning of December. With Sweden, Norway used the argument that Sweden's actions as EU president would send a key signal to the EU; the same argument was used with Spain as the next EU president. The two countries released a press release yesterday, November 24, regarding the availability of 14.95 million Euros for the payment of November salaries and pensions. The press release can be accessed at: www.ldf.ps/documentsShow.aspx?ATT ID=2198 . ¶3. (C) Guro informed poloff that Foreign Minister Stoere would be traveling to Germany on November 29 and will raise the issue of contributions to the PA while there. Guro observed that Germany has no tradition of budget support, and has strict regulations on development programs in general, so this might be a hard sell, but Stoere would make a strong case. ¶4. (C) Guro reported that Norway still had hopes for support from the U.A.E,. Kuwait, Algeria, Jordan, and Egypt. She said Norway has been arguing with these countries that withholding funds from the PA was not, in fact, "being neutral," but was effectively support for Hamas, as it made Hamas's smuggling activities in Gaza even more vital. WHITE