Program and Events 2008
Berlin Conference: In Support of a Palestinian State
Secretary Rice (June 23): "We are going to go first to Berlin for a conference that was an idea that Chancellor Merkel had and, in fact, announced in a press availability that she held with Prime Minister Olmert. It’s a really very good idea that follows on the course of several conferences that have been aimed at getting the Palestinians in a position for statehood by building their institutions. We had, of course, Annapolis, which launched that track, but then the conference in Paris, which was a very successful donor conference that was dedicated to the various aspects of the Palestinians’ own national development plan. They then held the Berlin – I’m sorry, the Bethlehem conference, which brought a number of private sector supporters to support Palestinian economic development." Full Text | More on the Secretary's travel (edit)