JERUSALEM, July 11, 2017 (WAFA) - The administration of US President Donald Trump welcomed on Tuesday the electricity agreement signed the day before between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government, which supplies Israeli electricity to a Jenin power substation, saying it enhances US efforts to bolster the Palestinian economy.

“This initiative constitutes important progress toward the US administration‘s goal of bolstering the Palestinian economy to enhance the prospects for a just, secure, and lasting peace,” said a statement by the US Consulate in Jerusalem, which also described the agreement as “an important step in the implementation of the bilateral electricity deal concluded in September 2016.”

Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz and the coordinator of the Israeli government in the West Bank and Gaza, Yoav Mordechai, signed the agreement at the new Jenin power station.

The agreement is supposed to increase electricity supply to northern West Bank communities, mainly in the Jenin district, which have been facing shortage in power supply in recent months.

Further similar agreements are expected to be signed for other West Bank areas.

M.K.