Hebron Municipality delegation headed by Mayor Dr. Daoud Zatari accompanied by Eng. Nader Bitar, member of the Municipal Council, and Eng. Alaa Shaheen Returned to Palestine after a short visit to the French cities. The delegation met with a group of mayors and institutions, to strengthen the bonds of cooperation and the prospects for future work among them.
Dr. Zatari and the delegation met the mayor of Arcueil in the presence of members of the municipal council, a representative of the municipality of Belford and senior staff.
The historical relationship between the two municipalities, spanning many years ago in a joint action and cooperation was illustrated.
The mayor of Arcueil thanked the delegation guest headed by Dr. Zatari, valuing the depth of the relationship between the two municipalities, and stressing the need to maintain continuity and development. He then advanced to give a summary of the most important projects and services that the municipality is working on, noting its role in external relations and its relevance in the exchange of knowledge and shared services.
On the other hand, Dr. Zatari thanked the French counterpart for the warm reception and hospitality, stressing that the relationship still exists between the two countries. In addition, he indicated that closer distances between the two municipalities has a positive effect on cultural and social relationship between the two nations, pointing to the importance of development of relationships, to strengthen the bridges of communication, build economic ties and exchange experiences.
Hebron and Arcueil and Balfour municipalities agreed to set up cooperation programs between the there municipalities in the fields of tourism and activities exchange. a strategic plan that includes programs in other sectors was also planned for the period 2014-2016.
Later, the heads of the three municipalities and the accompanying crew held an expanded meeting attended by representatives of the Palestinian embassy and UNESCO to discuss ways of activating the project and listing the Hebron old town on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. Furthermore, a time span was agreed on for the project, which includes political, media and arts movements.
On the sidelines of the Humanity Festival which was organized by the municipalities of ARCUEIL and Balfour, the mayor of Hebron met with, representatives of several municipalities and French institutions in support of the Palestinian people's rights and advocacy for the positions of the Palestinian leadership.
Dr. Zatari presented a presentation of the real situation of the Palestinian cities in general and the city of Hebron in particular, noting the reality that hinders their development challenges developed in the light of the economical and political distress by the Israeli occupation authorities.
The Mayor also stressed that the Palestinian leadership and citizens are seeking to build a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital in accordance with the international legitimacy and United Nations resolutions.
On the other hand, Dr. Zatari met with the head of the French Federal and a number of members of the governing bodies where they discussed the project of Tariq ibn Ziyad, ways of developing it and ways to develop the relationship and work to establish new projects in the sports sector.