Palestinians will boycott a conference of international donors this month unless the agenda is expanded to include the internationally backed "road map" peace plan, the foreign minister said Monday. Nabil Shaath said the Palestinians want the conference, scheduled Sept. 23 in New York, to be postponed so organizers can amend the schedule. "If this meeting has an acceptable agenda, we will attend," Shaath told The Associated Press. "But if it stays as it is, we will not attend." The Palestinian Authority relies on international donors for about 60 percent of its annual budget. The current agenda of the coming donor meeting focuses on Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the easing of travel restrictions on Palestinians, Shaath said. The road map is a far more comprehensive plan that aims for an independent Palestinian state by next year. In a letter sent recently to the "Quartet" of road map sponsors, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia sought assurances that the Gaza withdrawal will be the first step in implementing the road map. The letter said the Gaza pullout must be accompanied by a full withdrawal from the West Bank.
