Press Releases

1. The Government of Japan has decided to extend Non-Project Grant Aid of 800 million yen to the Palestinian Interim Self-Government Authority (hereinafter referred to as "the Palestinian Authority"). Notes to this effect were exchanged between H.E. Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and H.E. Mr. Shukri Bishara, Minister of Finance, Palestinian Authority, on Wednesday, July 24 (local time) in Ramallah in the West Bank of the Jordan River.
2. This grant aid aims at promoting efforts by the Palestinian Authority for economic and social development, and the grant will be used for the purchase of necessary commodities in the Palestinian territories. Through this aid, it is expected that the serious financial conditions of the Palestinian Authority will be improved.
3. The Palestinian economy remains in a difficult condition, particularly due to a considerable decrease of employment opportunities for Palestinians as well as destructions of various social and economic infrastructures in the repeated collisions in the Palestinian territories since September 2000. In order to promote the Middle East peace process under these circumstances, it is imperative to work for the stability and the development of the Palestinian society and its civil life by supporting the efforts of the Palestinian Authority for economic and social development.
4. Japan will continue to make active efforts to promote political dialogues toward the resumption of the direct negotiations, confidence-building measures and the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity" initiative in addition to providing assistance to the Palestinians toward the realization of co-existence and co-prosperity of Israelis and Palestinians through a two-state solution.

[Reference]
The Palestinian territories cover around 6,020 square kilometers, and have a population of approximately 4.1 million people (2010).