Visit of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and the European Commission Head of Department, Mr. Christian Berger
European Commission – Beit Sahour Municipality press release For Immediate Release Inauguration of Khudreya and Jenayna Streets in Beit Sahour Residents and visitors to the Beit Sahour area near Bethlehem will face less traffic congestion thanks to a better road network, financed by the European Union. Today, the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad accompanied by Mr. Jamal Zakut Director of Community Popular Activities, the European Commission Head of Department, Mr. Christian Berger, and Mr. Hani Al-Hayek, Mayor of Beit Sahour, inaugurated two roads, Khudreya and Jenayna, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Local residents joined Beit Sahour Municipal Council Members and Beit Sahour Municipality staff for the ceremony. In October of 2008, the Palestinian National Authority awarded five contracts worth over €2.8 million Euros, provided by the European Union through its main financing mechanism, PEGASE, to improve the road networks in five West Bank municipalities. The contracts are all managed by the Ministry of Local Government. The paved roads also contribute to a cleaner and therefore healthier public and private environment, as - unlike traditional dirt roads - they do not cause massive dust clouds to arise with use and pollute the air, homes and businesses around them. The European Union's assistance programmes, through PEGASE, address the priority needs of the Palestinian people, as identified by the Palestinian Authority. Contact:
After the inauguration, the guests, accompanied by Mayor Hani Al-Hayek, the Municipal Council members and the municipality staff toured the Mehwar Center, the Greek Orthodox Housing Project and the Cultural Orthodox Arab Community Center. Finally, all were invited to Ush Ghurab Peace Park for a dinner celebration that included a musical concert courtesy of the Edward Sa'eid National Conservatory of Music and a presentation of the strategic overview and project development of Beit Sahour Municipality. |
On Saturday, August 8, 2009, Prime Minister Salam Fayad and the Head of Department for the European Commission, Mr. Christian Berger visited Beit Sahour and participated in the inauguration of Khudreya and Jenayna Roads. The following joint press release was issued:
The inauguration event was well attended by the Beit Sahour residents, the presidents of the local community based organizations and included notables such as: Dr. Victor Batarseh, Mayor of Bethlehem; Mr. Khader Hamdan, Joint Council for Services, Planning and Development, Eastern Rural; Engineer Hisham Al-Omari, Director of the Jerusalem Electric Company; Mr. Joseph Azaldeen Al-Dejany, President of the Jerusalem Electric Company Council; Dr. Simone Al Araj, Director of the Water and Sewage Authority, Bethlehem District; Mr. Abdalfateh Hamayel, Governor of Bethlehem District; and the former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Mr. Mitri Abu Aita.