LOC14:16
11:16 GMT
BRUSSELS, May 8 (KUNA) -- Belgian Minister of Development Cooperation and Major Cities Policy Meryame Kitir will begin a working visit to Palestine on Monday, the Belgian Foreign Ministry said in a press release Sunday.
The focus of her five-day visit "is to draw attention to the need for quality protection for Palestinians living under occupation and to bring a perspective on a more promising future for Palestinian youth and women," it noted.
To that purpose, Minister Kitir will launch, during her visit to the occupied Palestinian territory, a new bilateral cooperation programme.
"For the first time, we are also investing in the resilience of young people and women in Gaza with a full-fledged programme," Kitir said.
The various projects the Belgian ministers is to visit, will give her a precise picture of the day-to-day challenges faced by Palestinians.
In the occupied Palestinian territory, a variety of projects are supported by Belgium through its implementing agency Enabel, in cooperation with international partners such as UN agencies UNRWA, UNICEF and OCHA, and with local partners.
"In Palestine, young people grow up in the middle of an ongoing conflict. That is why support makes all the difference. With our new programme, we are investing in them towards better opportunities to build their future, even in difficult circumstances," she said.
Palestine has been a partner of the Belgian Development Cooperation since 2001.
On May 12, Minister Kitir will be received at an official meeting by Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh in Ramallah where she will announce the new bilateral cooperation programme. (end)
nk.rk