Norwegian official first to meet with Haniyeh

Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Raymond Johansen flew to the Middle East on Sunday, and met PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Monday morning, marking the country's restoration of political and economic ties with the Palestinian government. Johansen was the first senior European official to meet the new the government. More meetings were planned for later in the day, said ministry spokesman Roy Freddy Andersen. Norway was the first country to lift sanctions against the Palestinian Authority in response to the approval of the new unity government on Saturday.