[INTERVIEW]Palestinians seek stronger political, economic support from Korea

Already enjoying strong support from East Asian countries such as China and Japan, the Palestinian Authority is now seeking more fruitful cooperation with Korea, visiting Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser Al-Kidwa said.

"We are looking forward to seeing more political engagement by Korea, and more financial support and aid coming from Korea to the Palestinian people in this difficult situation," Al-Kidwa said in an interview with The Korea Herald.

Al-Kidwa`s arrival in Seoul on Sunday marked the first official visit by a high-ranking government official from the Palestinian Authority.

On his second day yesterday, Al-Kidwa met counterpart Ban Ki-moon in the Foreign Ministry building in central Seoul for an hour-long discussion and a joint news conference reaffirming the two countries` will to expand their cooperation.

Korea is opening its first representative office in the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Nov. 14, and is considering doubling its financial support of the war-stricken country as part of its enlargement of Official Development Assistant projects.

Korea has sent about $10 million to the Palestinians so far, in addition to some $5 million last year and has promised $3 million more over the next three years.

Al-Kidwa explains that while the Palestinians are striving to gain an independent government, it can benefit a lot from Korea`s support. In return, Korea could also gain from strengthened relations with Palestine in terms of tapping the energy and economic potential of the Middle Eastern region.

"There are all the good reasons for Korea to enlarge the scope of (diplomacy toward the Middle East)," Al-Kidwa said.

Al-Kidwa is the nephew of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. He served as the permanent Palestinian observer to the United Nations from 1991 until recently, a period when he had the opportunity to get close to Ban Ki-moon, who was then serving as the chief of staff for the president of the General Assembly in 2001.

Al-Kidwa emphasized the Palestinian Authority`s keen interest in the present and future role of the United Nations.

"We believe that Palestine and the U.N. are inseparable," he said, explaining that it was the Palestian opinion that the U.N. partitioned Palestine and that it has a permanent responsibility until the problems in the area are effectively solved.

"The U.N. has never stopped dealing with the issue, and we hope that it will be the U.N. that will solve the problem."

Al-Kidwa, who joined the Fatah faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1969, has been a member of the Palestine National Council since 1975.

Al-Kidwa underscored the importance of adding momentum to the peace process on the basis of a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel.

"The central thing for the future of the region is to have the least (amount of) factional and illegal activities in and around Jerusalem because not only are these actions illegal, but they in fact prevent any political settlement in the region."

An interim administrative organization for the emerging Palestinian autonomous regions on the West Bank and Gaza Strip was established in 1994 as part of the peace agreement between Israel and the PLO, but the process has been suspended or stalled due to repeated bloodshed throughout the region.

Al-Kidwa said his administrative organization had faith in the roadmap for peace proposed by a "quartet" of international entities - the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations.

Although the United States has been giving all its support and protection toward Israel, Al-Kidwa said relations with the United States are becoming better and more reasonable toward the Palestinian Authority.

"Unfortunately, the roadmap that should have already ended with the two-state solution was postponed, but as President George Bush said he wants to see it achieved during his tenure, let`s hope that this is the case."

(angiely@heraldm.com)



By Lee Joo-hee