BETHLEHEM, July 29, 2010 (WAFA)- The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khouloud Daibes-Abou Dayyeh, and the Consul General of France in Jerusalem, Frédéric Desagneaux, signed yesterday, in the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Bethlehem, a 700 000 euro financing agreement for the “Palestinian heritage preservation and promotion” project.

This project has a double objective: it aims at supporting the heritage preservation policies in the Bethlehem region and at strengthening its articulation with the touristic activity and the sustainable urban development. This project will also allow the enhancing of the local institutions’ capacities in terms of planning and management of Palestinian cultural heritage.

The project will be broken up into 3 components:

- The establishment of a national museum in the Old City of Bethlehem,

- Training museographers in cooperation with the main French institutions concerned (The Louvre Museum, The National Heritage Institution)

- Enhancing the capacities of national Palestinian museums in terms of planning and management.

The implementation of these 3 components shall start next autumn with the arrival of a French expert in Bethlehem and will end in 2012.