BUDGET SUPPORT FOR THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 000504 E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2019 TAGS: EFIN KPAL KWBG PGOV PHUM PTER SA SUBJECT: BUDGET SUPPORT FOR THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY REF: STATE 29399 Classified By: DCM David Rundell, 1.4(b),(d) ¶1. (U) Reftel requested Post to inform host governments about the need for continued budget support for the Palestinian Authority (PA). ¶2. (C) DCM conveyed reftel message to Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister for Bilateral Relations Khalid al-Jindan on April 1. Al-Jindan, who was traveling to the G-20 Summit with King Abdullah, responded that Saudi Arabia's monthly contributions to the PA were part of long-term Saudi commitments to the Arab League, and that he was unaware of any changes in Saudi policy in this respect. ¶3. (C) Al-Jindan added that Saudi payments to the PA were sometimes delayed for bureaucratic reasons, and that he would check to see whether there had been any problems or changes with recent payments. FRAKER