General Kofi Annan are to attend Tuesday's meeting in London alongside European and Arab foreign ministers and World Bank and IMF representatives. Israel will not attend the meeting, which will focus on reforming Palestinian security forces and political institutions and boosting investment in the Palestinian economy. Rato said years of conflict had severely weakened the Palestinian economy but there were some early signs of promise. "Important progress has been made in improving transparency and accountability in the public finances," he said. Rato said the IMF plans to provide more technical assistance to Palestinian officials and "continue its close dialogue ... on macroeconomic and financial policies with a view to stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty." --SP 0000 Local Time 2100 GMT
