RAMALLAH, Tuesday, July 02, 2019 (WAFA) – Palestinian government today signed an agreement to support the third phase of the Joint Financing Arrangement (JFA III) for 22 million euros, according to a statement from the office of Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh.

The agreement was signed by Palestinian Minister of Finance Shukri Bishara, Education Minister Marwan Awartani, and donors, which included Ireland representative to Palestine Jonathan Conlon, Finnish Ambassador to Palestine Anna-Kaisa Heikkinen, Norway Deputy Representative to Palestine Unni Rambøll and Jonas Blume, Director of the KfW Office in Palestine.

"I would like to thank EU partners; Finland, Ireland, Norway and Germany for this funding to support the education sector worth 22 million euros," said Shtayyeh, adding that the total funding given by these countries since 2010 is about 150 million euros.

"This funding comes at the right time as the financial crisis we face intensifies in order to strengthen the national strategy in education because education for us is a survival strategy," Shtayyeh added.

Jonathan Conlon, Ireland representative to Palestine, said that this support reaffirms support for the two-state solution.

"This support comes to improve the quality of education, in terms of the human right to education, in line with sustainable development plans," He said. "It also comes to reaffirm our support for a two-state solution and the building of the institutions of a Palestinian state."

The agreement is the third phase of the JFA program of €22 million, which aims to continue supporting, developing and reforming the education sector in Palestine, in line with the National Policy Agenda 2017-2022, and supporting the implementation of the strategic plan for the education sector with a focus on public education.

The JFA program is a funding mechanism established in 2010 to provide a source of funding to support the development budget of the Ministry of Education.

K.T./M.K.