(5 Sep 2017) LEADIN:
The French Minister of Finance and Economy has promised not to cut aid to the Palestinians next year.
Bruno Le Maire is on a three day tour of the West Bank and Israel and today opened a new pharmaceutical building in Ramallah.
STORYLINE:
The French Minister of Finance and Economy cuts the ribbon at the opening of a new complex for Palestinian pharmaceutical company Pharmacare.
France has had significant involvement in the company - in 2014 the French Development Agency granted Pharmacare a 2.5 million Euro (2.97 million US dollars) loan.
It produces human and veterinary drugs.
Bruno Le Maire takes a tour of the facility with the Palestinian National Authority's National Economy Minister Abeer Odeh.
The politicians had met earlier in the day for roundtable discussions.
He is using his visit to the West Bank to pledge France's continued support for the Palestinian people.
La Maire confirms that the French government will supply the same of aid in 2018 as they have this year.
He said it represents a "huge effort at the time when we are obliged in France to cut in public spending and public expenditures".
The Palestinian authorities are the main beneficiary of French assistance with close to 50 million Euros (59.5 million US dollars) of donations each year.
Le Maire is on a three-day tour of the West Bank and Israel.
Yesterday (Monday) he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
Later today Le Maire will meet his Israeli counterpart Moshe Kahlon as well as Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
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