JERICHO, October 11, 2010 (WAFA)-  On the occasion of the celebration of the 10,000th anniversary of the city, French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Bernard Kouchner inaugurated in Jericho with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Monday, October 11, the 'Mahmoud Darwish' street in the presence of the Minister of Tourism, the Minister of Local Government, the Governor and the Mayor of Jericho.

1.8 km long, with 4 lanes and lighted, the road connects the southeastern part of Jericho to the center of the city. It was financed by the French Development Agency for a cost of €600,000, in the framework of the French support to the Palestinian Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF), to which France has contributed for more than 15 million since 2007.

In a press statement, Bernard Kouchner reiterated that this achievement was one of 'many projects funded under the Paris Conference.' He praised 'the work of the Prime Minister, ministers, the Governor and the Mayor' and 'underlined their success in developing the plan of Salam Fayyad for the establishment of a viable and democratic Palestinian State.'