Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal has a busy schedule this week as Saudi Arabia steps up a diplomatic offensive to push forward the Arab peace initiative. Prince Saud is expected to meet with Hillary Clinton for the first time since she became US Secretary of State, on Monday during the international Gaza reconstruction conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Sources said their talks would deal with ways to step up Saudi-US strategic relations and efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East on the basis of a viable two-state solution – Palestinian and Israel. Prince Saud is also expected to meet with George Mitchell, US envoy for the Middle East; Javier Solana, European foreign policy envoy; and several other participants from Arab, European and Western countries. Some 40 foreign ministers and 75 representatives from Arab and foreign countries are expected to participate in the conference. Prince Saud will attend a meeting that Clinton is scheduled to hold with the foreign ministers of GCC countries, Egypt and Jordan – the “6+2” meeting – and also a Quartet meeting aimed at activating the peace process. On Monday evening, Prince Saud will head for Cairo for a meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss the Arab peace initiative. Also on Prince Saud's schedule is a preparatory meeting on Wednesday of the foreign ministers of Arab and Latin American countries, ahead of the Arab-Latin American summit due to be held in Doha following the Arab summit meetings later this month. Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said the donor conference will see a qualitative leap in global support for rebuilding the Gaza Strip in the wake of Israel's 22-day bombardment launched in late December. He said the Palestinian Authority (PA) will present a comprehensive report on the dire economic situation of Gaza and a plan for its reconstruction. In all, the PA is seeking up to $2.8 billion. Under the plan for reconstructing and modernizing Gaza's infrastructure, $147 million would go to the industrial and commercial sectors, $240 million to the agricultural sector and $360 million for building homes. The plan also includes activating the social, education and health sectors, tackling poverty and unemployment, rebuilding the electricity water and sanitary drainage networks, and activating the economy. The cost of clearing up the debris from the Israeli attacks is estimated at $30 million. Gaza donations • Saudi Arabia has declared a donation of $1 billion, Kuwait $500 million and Qatar $250 million. Additionally $150 million has been collected through telethons organized by 50 Arab TV stations. • Britain has pledged 30 million pounds ($44 million). • The European Commission is expected to pledge 436 million euros (about $564 million) for humanitarian aid. • Clinton is expected to pledge $900 million, of which only $300 million would go to Gaza for humanitarian aid. Around $200 million would help cover budget shortfalls of the PA and the remainder was for economic reforms, security and private sector projects run by the PA, a US official said.
