Paris hosts PA-Israeli economic summit

French President Emanuel Macron hosted on Thursday a Palestinian-Israeli economic summit in the Alethea Palace in Paris aimed at reinforcing mutual economic cooperation and maintaining stability in the region.

Israel’s Economic Minister Eli Cohen and the Palestinian Authority (PA) Economic Minister Abeer Odea attended the summit and discussed efforts to erase the obstacles that undermine bilateral economic cooperation.

They agreed on widening commercial activities, pushing forward investments and supporting the PA’s imports of consumer goods.

French president said that he was happy with hosting both sides in the royal palace; he emphasised the need to increase economic cooperation and improve living standards for both sides.

Mr Macron said he was content with the outcome of the meeting and that he was ready to host the two sides again in future.

France, it would be recalled, brokered the 1994 Paris Protocol which which defines almost all economic relations between Israel and Palestine. However, Palestinian economists now believe the Protocol should be revised because it has been implemented by Israel selectively and mostly to its benefit.