Malta has pledged $1m of assistance over the next three years at the Paris international donors conference for a Palestinian state.

Foreign Minister Michael Frendo described the conference as “a defining moment in efforts to attain the ultimate objective of having two states side by side in peace, prosperity and security”. He said that “providing assistance to Palestinian state-building converges with Malta’s long-standing commitment to a two-state solution and to supporting the moderate political forces by ensuring a true peace dividend in the everyday lives of the people”.

Dr Frendo explained that Malta’s contribution will be in the form of a direct financial contribution to the budget of the Palestinian Authority and in the form of the provision of expertise on water supply, health and education, training of public servants and ICT for development.

He said that this contribution would also be in the form of scholarships for Palestinian students at the University of Malta and at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, and would include the continued provision of computers to Bethlehem University and ICT services to the community as part of the Maltese foreign ministry’s “Children of Bethlehem” programme.

90 delegations from all over the world attended the Paris conference, which was addressed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Tony Blair for the Quartet. The meeting was chaired by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.