RAMALLAH, March 6, 2017 (WAFA) – Germany and the Palestinian Authority signed on Monday an 18 million euro (app. $20 million) agreement in support of projects to develop municipalities and improve services, according to a statement by the German Representative Office in Ramallah.

Minister of Local Government Hussein Araj and a representative of the German-government owned development bank, KfW, signed the agreement in Ramallah.

The money will go to support two development programs, one for the municipality development program and the other for the improvement of services provided by the local government and councils to the Palestinian people.

The money, which will go for both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, aim at improving living conditions of the Palestinian people as well as to improve infrastructure such as roads, water lines, solid sewage treatment and for building public parks, according to the press statement.

“The purpose of this additional financial support we signed today is to restate that Germany remains one of the largest and most trusted development partners in the Palestinian territories,” said Peter Beerwerth, the German Representative in Ramallah.

Germany’s contribution to the local government sector has so far reached 76.5 million euros.

M.K.