(21 Dec 2004) SHOTLIST
1. World Bank President James Wolfensohn walking
2. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom seated with Wolfensohn
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Silvan Shalom, Israeli Foreign Minister:
"I'm very happy to have here with us Mr. Wolfensohn, who is a very great friend of Israel. He's coming here in order to find out how to help the Israelis and the Palestinians, how to narrow the gaps between both of us and how to help us in our efforts to make progress in our peace initiative. I would like to welcome you here, Mr. Wolfensohn. It's very important that those donor countries would continue to contribute to our efforts to bring more stability to our region."
4. SOUNDBITE (English) James Wolfensohn, World Bank President:
"Our role is indeed as you say to try and bring about economic development, because - on the basis of that and on the basis of the hope that that generates - one can look forward to more stable peace. And I think everyone in the world hopes for a just and stable peace in the region and that is the reason that I've come and I look forward to learning from you your views and the views of the other distinguished Israelis and Palestinians that I'm going to meet."
5. Shalom greeting Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini, shaking hands, Shalom and Fini walking in to Foreign Ministry
STORYLINE
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom on Tuesday met visiting World Bank President James Wolfensohn and Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini.
Ahead of his meetings with Israeli and also Palestinian officials, Wolfensohn had said the World Bank wanted to raise 500 (m) million US dollars for the Palestinians.
However, in an interview published on Tuesday, he linked the additional aid to Palestinian reform and an easing of Israeli travel bans.
Wolfensohn said the bank was not imposing conditions, but said international donors wanted to see conditions improve to make the aid more effective.
Apart from his talks with Shalom, Fini was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and then go to Ramallah for meetings with Palestinian officials on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Talks were expected to focus on Italy's support for the January 9 elections for Palestinian Authority president as well as security and financial aid, an Italian ministry spokesman said.
On Tuesday, Fini confirmed that Italian paramilitary police would begin training Palestinian security forces in coming weeks.
The training is part of an accelerating European Union effort to support the Palestinian leadership ahead of the elections.
Fini, a right-wing leader who turned his party from neo-fascist to mainstream conservative, was appointed foreign minister last month.
In 2003, he denounced European anti-Semitism during a trip to Israel, a visit aimed at ridding himself and his party of any taint of neo-fascism.
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