On Wednesday afternoon the Norwegian Prime Minister, Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik, sent the following message to Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, after Mr. Abbas had assumed the position as prime minister in the Palestinian Authority:

”I take this opportunity to congratulate you on assuming the position as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority.

The composition of your new cabinet and the policies of your government signal a new departure. This will give the Palestinian people reason to hope, it will strengthen the support of the international community for the peace process, and it will encourage the Israeli Government to act in a similarly constructive way.

I would like to assure you that Norway will stay committed to the Middle East peace process and to assisting the Palestinian Authority in developing its capacity to deliver transparent and effective governance, thus strengthening its capacity to act as a capable partner in the peace process.

I realise that you will have a very heavy schedule in the near future. However, I would like to extend an invitation for you to visit Norway at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely, Kjell Magne Bondevik”.