RAMALLAH, September 8, 2011 (WAFA) - Prime Minister Salam Fayyad Thursday inaugurated the new Tourist Information Center in Ramallah.

He was joined by the deputy mayor of the city of Bordeaux, Sonia Dubourg-Lavroff, in charge of the Euro-Mediterranean relations of the city, the capital of the French Region “Aquitaine” (South West of France).

Speaking at the inauguration, Fayyad said that the region will never know peace or justice unless the occupation is brought to an end.

“Never will the requirements of peace and justice be achieved unless we end the occupation and enable the Palestinian people to establish their independent state over all the land occupied since June 1967,” he said.

He considered the international community’s support of the Palestinian people and its local organizations and the Palestinian government project a solid foundation for the political move and struggle led by the PLO to establish the state.

He said that the new projects undertaken by Ramallah municipality, contributed in facilitating the Palestinians’ living and strengthen the city’s role and open nature.

Ramallah mayor, Janet Mikhail, referred to the importance of the projects, especially Ramallah Tourist Information Center, which was built in coordination with Bordeaux municipality.

Located across the Ramallah City Hall in an old traditional villa fully renovated, the Tourist Information Center is a project worth 182 000 euros. The French government also took part in it. The Municipality of Bordeaux provided training to the executive director of the new center.

The consul general of France in Jerusalem, Frederic Desagneaux, highlighted the intensity of the cooperation between the cities of Bordeaux and Ramallah, covering fields as varied as municipal and urban management, environment and sustainable development or culture and heritage.

The deputy mayor of Bordeaux stressed the dynamism of the city of Ramallah and described the partnership between the two cities as a long-term relationship.

Alain Juppé, French minister of foreign and European affairs and mayor of the city of Bordeaux had met with Mikhail during his last visit in the region on June 1. The meeting took place at the French-German Cultural Center in Ramallah where Alain Juppé also had a long talk with young Palestinian bloggers.

M.G./M.A.