Norway continues to aid Palestinians: official

Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Raymond Johansen said that Norway will continue providing aid to the Palestinians regardless of a Hamas-led government, the Egyptian daily al-Ahram reported on Monday.

The newspaper quoted Johansen as saying that the Palestinians could not be punished for their democratic choice, referring to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) victory in the Jan. 25 parliamentary election.

Johansen, however, said that this did not mean that Norway would back down three conditions stipulated by the quartet committee for Hamas, which is committed to Israel's destruction.

The quartet, grouping the United Nations, the United States, Russia and the European Union, has demanded that Hamas renounce violence, implement Palestinian-Israeli agreements and recognize Israel.

Johansen also stressed the importance of opening new channels to support the Palestinians, adding that talks are underway on what could be done and how to help the Palestinians and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

Norway offers 100 million U.S. dollars annually to the Palestinians, much of which goes to the PNA and the remaining channeled through the UN and other world organizations in support of the Palestinians to establish their state, according to Johansen.

Source: Xinhua