Prime Minister of the Palestinian interim government Salam Fayyad said Tuesday that he is expecting the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games to be the best in history.

"The Chinese people have demonstrated to the world their great vigor, intelligence and industry, and I believe the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games will not only be a successful one but the most outstanding Olympic Games in the history," Fayyad told Xinhua during a meeting with Chinese representatives in the Palestinian territories.

Expressing his appreciation for China's long-term support to the Palestinian people, Fayyad said the current situation in the region has made life very difficult for the Palestinians, but "the Olympic Spirit could be a great encouragement for people all around the world, and the Chinese people's resolution of making Beijing Olympics a great success is also encouraging us to realize the dream of having our own country."

Talking about the Palestinian athletes who will take part in the Beijing Olympics, the prime minister said, "Although we will only have four players competing in Beijing, their presence represents our aspiration of being part of the Olympic Games."

"The Palestinian athletes have went through a lot of difficulties in their training before they could go to Beijing. In this regard, they deserve everyone's respect," he said.

"In the future, we hope the world could see more Palestinian athletes competing in the Olympics," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2008)