Signing and Exchange of Notes concerning General Cultural Grant Assistance to Palestine

On February 15, Mr. Takeshi Okubo, Ambassador for the Palestinian Affairs and Representative of Japan to the Palestinian Authority, and Ms. Abeer Odeh, Minister of National Economy, signed and exchanged notes in Tokyo, regarding General Cultural Grant Assistance of up to 74 million yen related to the Project for the Construction of the Protective Shelter and the Presentation of the Great Bath at Hisham’s Palace (Detailed Design), in the presence of Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, and Dr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of Palestine.

Hisham’s Palace, a cultural heritage and touristic site representing Islamic construction in Jericho, lacks facilities to preserve and exhibit the precious mosaic floor of its Great Bath because of financial difficulties and other reasons. It is concerned that there is a risk of deterioration of and damage to the mosaic floor. This project on this occasion is to fund a detailed design for a plan to build such facilities.

This project funded by the General Cultural Grant Assistance is expected to assist tourism development in Palestine and lead to sustainable economic growth. Furthermore, this project is supposed to contribute to the establishment of the “Corridor for Tourism” under the “Corridor for Peace and Prosperity” initiative, which aims to support economic and social development in Jericho and the Jordan Valley through intraregional cooperation involving Japan, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan.