PARIS, June 14, 2010 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas and the Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë inaugurated, Monday, Mahmoud Darwish Square in the French capital.

The Municipality of Paris said in a statement, Thursday that this place would be inaugurated to honor the work of this great poet of Palestine.

Mahmoud Darwish received numerous awards for his work and his writings have been translated into several languages. He is recognized as one of the most important poets of the twentieth century.

The decision to name a place in Paris after Mahmoud Darwish has been passed by the Council of Paris in April.

Delanoe said that 'He is a great poet who we want to honor by naming a place of Paris after him. He is not just any poet, a Palestinian poet, a poet whose inspiration is born of his suffering in exile.'

'Mahmoud Darwish is also a fighter. I honor his this morning as the leader of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization, which the writer has long been a part) is present,' he added.

President Abbas said: 'Mahmoud Darwish was always talking about the day when the Palestinian people could lead a normal life like other peoples in their independent country. We, the people of Darwish, say we're going to pursue the path till the day comes where we live in a Palestine without occupation, without the blockade, without walls.”

'We love life when we have the means to it,' he said, quoting a verse from Darwish.