Khaled Osaily. خالد العسيلي رئيس بلدية الخيل السابق خالد العسيلي
Hebron Mayor Khaled Osaily called on the organizers of the 2010 Donor Conference to help maintain the relative economic improvement witnessed in Hebron thanks to a number of vital projects executed through both direct and indirect support from donors. “These projects would not have been realized without this support”, he said.
Osaily also called for the easing of security measures imposed by Israeli Occupation Authorities on commercial activity, the free movement of goods through borders, as well as on the free movement of citizens who are confronted with checkpoints and closures in the OPT.
Osaily was speaking at a meeting held at Hebron Municipality with Mr. Pierre Duquesne, Ambassador for Economic Issues and Development at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Duquesne was the coordinator for the 2007 Paris Donor Conference and one of the coordinators for the 2nd Donor Conference to be held later this year.
During this visit, Ambassador Duquesne was accompanied by Mr. Jean-Philippe Jilta, Economic and Commercial Counselor at the French Consulate General in Jerusalem and Mr. Jean Dorty who is in charge of the peace process at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the beginning of the meeting, Osaily spoke about economic conditions in Hebron, underlining the importance of donor support to the Palestinian budget given its great impact on conditions in Hebron. He also touched on the positive impact of projects funded by donors and recently executed in Hebron, adding that there is an urgent need for more vital and development projects to fulfill the needs of the increasing number of Hebronites.
As an example, Osaily mentioned Al Hussein International Stadium, built in record time, as well as the indoor sports hall, the public transport parking lot, Al Salam garden and various infrastructural projects which have tremendously improved the daily lives of citizens. Moreover, the Organizational Development of the Municipality, especially of those sections dealing directly with customers, has been widely acclaimed and welcomed by satisfied customers, he said.
Mr. Duquesne underlined the importance of the participation of local authorities and municipalities in preparing the National Development and Reform Plan to be presented at the 2nd Donor Conference at the end of this year. “The NY Donor Conference will focus on providing support to the private sector as this will help improve general economic conditions in the OPT and revive the development process in Palestine”, he said.
