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Norwegian PM urges more aid to Syria

Xinhua, September 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg on Friday called for more humanitarian assistance for Syria.

"The UN appeals for the Syrian crisis are severely underfunded -- we have to do more," said Solberg. "We call on all nations to be generous so that we (can) prevent a lost generation."

"This is why (Norway has) offered to host an international donor conference for Syria and we have doubled our humanitarian aid to the Syrian crisis," she added.

Solberg spoke after world leaders unanimously adopted the Sustainable Development Goals -- a set of 17 economic, social and environmental targets all 193 UN member states will aim to reach by 2030.

"We are meeting at the time of great hope but also grave crisis," said Solberg. "Business as usual will not lead to sustainable development," she added.

Solberg said that Norway will continue to give 1 percent of its gross national income as development assistance. However, she said poverty reduction needs more than aid. "Poverty reduction depends primarily on domestic resources and economic growth in partnership with the private sector," she said. "We will use aid as a catalyst to raise (government) revenues and fight poverty." Endi