JERUSALEM, Tuesday, July 14, 2020 (WAFA) – The European Union, Denmark, and the Palestinian Authority launched Tuesday the implementation of a €5.8 million agreement to build 16 social and public infrastructure projects in Area C.
This contribution represents a new package of the European Union Area C Development Programme in the West Bank, according to a statement from the Office of the EU Representative in the West Bank and Gaza.
This package is the fifth of its kind to serve public infrastructure projects in Area C. It will fund the completion of 16 social infrastructure projects in 15 localities across the West Bank benefiting over 24,000 Palestinian living in Area C. These projects include schools, roads, multipurpose buildings, water distribution networks, water reservoirs and rehabilitation of electricity networks. This contribution brings the total amount of the programme to €15.2 million intended to build 58 social infrastructure projects in 46 localities. The European Union Area C Programme is funded by the European Union and Member States.
The signing ceremony, held at the Prime Minister’s Office, was attended by the Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, Minister of Local Government Majdi al-Saleh, European Union Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, the Representative of Denmark, Nathalia Feinberg, and the Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF). The implementation agreement was signed between the European Union and the MDLF.
“The European Union considers Area C an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories. This position has been voiced for so many years and is translated in projects like the one we are launching today. It is the basic right of every Palestinian in the occupied Palestinian territories to have access to social services and economic infrastructure like water, electricity, roads, schools, and clinics,” said the EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff at the launching ceremony.
“Together with the EU Member States we are supporting the Palestinian Authority to meet these needs. The European Union’s position on Area C is clear: we will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by both sides, and we do not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the territories occupied since 1967. We remain committed to a fair and negotiated two-State solution which is the only way to achieve peace, development and security,” he added.
In addition, the Representative of Denmark, Nathalia Feinberg, said that “The support from the Danish government is channelled through the European Union Area C Development Programme in the West Bank. The EU and EU Member States support to developmental interventions in Area C initiated and promoted by the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government in line with the EU commitment towards achieving the two-state solution.”
The European Union and its Member States provide humanitarian and development assistance to Palestinians in Area C. Humanitarian assistance is channelled to under-privileged and marginalised communities in accordance with the humanitarian imperative. Meanwhile, the development assistance is implemented with the Palestinian Authority to build social infrastructure projects that serve Palestinians deprived of the satisfaction of their basic needs. These projects include promoting economic development and improving the quality of life of Palestinian communities.
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