On 25 January HR/VP Federica Mogherini met the Commissioner- General of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) Pierre Krähenbühl in Brussels. They exchanged views on current situation in the Middle East and on future challenges. Mogherini confirmed the EU’s political and economic support to UNRWA underlining UNRWA’s crucial role for stability and security in the region. She stressed the important role of the Agency to reach the objective of two – state solution. Commissioner-General Krähenbühl thanked the HR/VP for the “exemplary leadership and solidarity during UNRWA financial crisis in 2018”. UNRWA is facing a rising demand for services resulting from a growth of registered Palestine refugees. The UN Agency is active in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, West Bank and Gaza Strip. Together with the EU a number of EU countries have raised their bilateral contributions. This is the case of Italy that announced an additional contribution of €1.5 million for 2019 on 24 January.