31.   But confidence is so low that one regional authority only will back the project through an investment in Brussels airport.

32.   But the project is backed by English Heritage, which cares for historic buildings and monuments.

33.   But while former Chancellor Helmut Kohl backed the project, his successor, Gerhard Schroeder, has been skeptical.

34.   Finance Minister Hans Eichel spent the last two weeks persuading lawmakers from the Social Democrats and their junior coalition partner, the Greens, to back the project.

35.   He also financially backed new projects at Loyola Marymount University and Pepperdine University.

36.   He said other U.N. agencies and private organizations also have expressed interest in backing the project.

37.   In Rio, Charles will see environmental and social projects backed by British companies.

38.   Karram said the willingess of the investors to back the project was a vote of confidence in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

39.   Most financing for the one kilometer-long dam is to come from the World Bank, which has been criticized in the past for backing such projects.

40.   Mori blamed the Asian financial crisis, which bankrupted several Japanese banks backing the project and made others more reluctant to get involved.