RAMALLAH, West Bank — An 11-member Palestinian ministerial delegation to Cairo headed by Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh wrapped up an official three-day visit Oct. 11 by signing a number of bilateral economic agreements.
The delegation visited Egypt as part of the Palestinian government's efforts to activate economic relations with Arab countries and economically disengage from Israel. The delegation held collective talks with the Egyptian government, while the Palestinian ministers held dozens of separate meetings with their Egyptian counterparts to discuss cooperation.
The Palestinian government started to develop its economic disengagement plan from Israel after Israel started withholding some of the tax revenues it collects for the Palestinian Authority on Feb. 17. Though the sides began negotiating the subject once again this month, difficult issues remain to be resolved — mainly the PA's payments to families of Palestinians who were wounded, imprisoned or killed fighting Israel. Israel considers the payments to be terrorism funding.
The PA first approached Jordan, sending a delegation there headed by Shtayyeh on July 7. The countries signed memoranda of understanding in the fields of energy, health and transportation. On July 15, a Palestinian delegation visited Iraq to discuss the possibility of importing Iraqi fuel to the West Bank. Though the sides signed no agreements on that matter, they did reach economic cooperation understandings.
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