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JERUSALEM, June 14, 2012 (WAFA) - The European Union (EU) and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing inaugurated Wednesday a 4.5 kilometer road connecting the villages of Qaryout, Talfeet and Jaloud in the Nablus district, according to an EU press release.

The ceremony took place in the village of Qaryout in the presence of PA Minister of Public Works and Housing Maher Ghonaim, Nablus Governor Jibrin al-Bakri and EU Representative, John Gatt-Rutter. The opening of the road was marked with a symbolic race of more than 150 children from all three villages.

In the past year the EU supported the PA Ministry of Public Works and Housing with €1.1 million to reconstruct the 4.5 km road linking the villages of Jalud, Qaryout and Talfeet in an effort to improve the living conditions of more than 6000 villagers.

“The road in its previous condition was very narrow and in a deteriorated condition, severely delaying the mobility of people and goods and putting drivers' safety at risk,” said the press release.

“The new construction has brought a much-needed infrastructure upgrade in an area that suffers from limited access to public utilities and transport facilities,” it added.

'Building a road to connect you to your neighbors and the rest of the world is a prerequisite for any community to experience progress and growth,” said Gatt-Rutter at the inauguration ceremony.

“I hope that today we have managed to make a first solid step that will bring change to your daily lives and will trigger further development for your villages, be it by improving the water facilities or upgrading the electricity network,” he added.

The EU representative said, “We are aware of the difficulties and challenges your area is facing from restrictions in access and movement and the adjacent settlements. That is why we have supported the Palestinian Authority in being here, supporting you in practical terms and working to rehabilitate your road; a road that will reconnect you with larger Palestinian market centers like Nablus and Ramallah.”

The newly renovated road will significantly decrease the costs of transportation for farmers who form the majority of the population in Qaryout, Talfeet and Jalud. The project has also improved the surface water drainage facilities in addition to the installation of specific measures to enhance road safety.

Since 2008, in line with the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan, the EU has supported the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in upgrading and renovating a total of six roads across the West Bank of a total cost of about €4 million.

The EU is also working on a number of other infrastructure projects in the area of Nablus, the most prominent of which is the construction of the Muqata compound in Nablus city and the rehabilitation of Khan Al-Wakalat site in the Old City of Nablus.

M.S.

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