Strengthening Bonds and Initiating Relationships in France From June 29-July 6, a delegation headed by Mayor Hani Al-Hayek visited five cities in France on a variety of missions and objectives. The delegation was comprised of Mr. Mazen Shomali, Deputy Mayor and Council Member, Mr. Khalil Jubran, Council Member, Ms Maha Al-Atrash, Director of the mayor's office, Ms Naila Al-Hayek, Officer of Local & Internal Relations, and Mrs. Lubnah Shomali, Officer of International Relations. On the first stop, the city of Vaulx-en-Velin, one of our most active and supportive partner cities, held a Palestinian flag raising ceremony in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Mayor Bernard Genin pledged to keep the Palestinian flag waving along side the Vaulx-en-Velin municipality flag, the French flag and the European Union flag until the full sovereignty of the Palestinian State is realized. The city of Vaulx-en-Velin continues to support Beit Sahour Municipality with innovative cooperation projects that enhance youth engagement, experience exchange and professionalism in sports and art.  
To see the ceremony visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdhdmwSnP9I Before moving on to Romans, the delegation briefly visited the city of Givors and Mayor Martial Passi. Mayor Passi hosted the Beit Sahour delegation for lunch and discussed the potential for partnership in the health services sector. In Romans, the delegation participated in the Biennale Internationale de la Solidarite et des Exchanges (BISE); a biannual celebration of solidarity and exchange. Our relationship with the city of Romans is 15 years old and continues to develop and flourish with each cooperation project. Beit Sahour Municipality also participated in the Village du Monde where Palestinian embroidery was displayed and traditional foods were shared with the many local and international visitors. On the final day of the BISE formal protocols were signed between Beit Sahour Municipality and Romans, as well as a commitment to pursue cooperation with other international partner cities of Romans. Mayor Henri Bertholet and his staff were gracious and generous hosts; Mayor Bertholet is planning a visit Beit Sahour in the near future.  
To initiate fresh relationships the delegation moved on to Maurepas, a fairly new city constructed and established in the 1970s to meet with Mayor Georges-Claude Mougeot to discuss possible sectors of cooperation. The city of Maurepas is interested in projects concerning environmental awareness, preservation and conservation as well as environmentally friendly pest control and fertilization practices. 
The last stop was a visit to the city and mayor of Clichy-la-Garenne, located in the suburbs of Paris where the delegation observed various musical and artistic activities of the Youth Urban Festival which is held annually. The city of Clichy hopes to implement a multitude of youth exchange projects with the city of Beit Sahour to encourage understanding, awareness and communication via cultural and athletic forums both here and there. Mayor Gilles Catoire and Mayor Hani Al-Hayek have exchanged visits in the past but a formal memorandum of understanding for cooperation has yet to be signed.  
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