Minister Hjjawi and the Jordanian Ambassador Discuss Strengthening Joint Cooperation in Municipal Work and Urban Planning

SadaNews - Minister of Local Government Dr. Sami Hjjawi discussed with the Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to Palestine, Issam Al-Badour, mechanisms to activate the joint memorandum of understanding signed between the ministry and its Jordanian counterpart, which has a significant impact on achieving mutual benefit and utilizing practical experiences and expertise in the fields of municipal work, urban planning and organization, sustainable development, and legal, administrative, financial, and digital aspects. This took place during a meeting held at the ministry's headquarters in Ramallah today, Wednesday, in the presence of the ministry's Undersecretary Raed Muqbil, Director General of Joint Services Councils Walid Abu Al-Halawa, and Head of the Public Relations and Media Unit Raafat Drousha. Hjjawi praised the positions of His Majesty King Abdullah II and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for their continuous support of the Palestinian people and their just cause, which confirms the depth of the brotherly relationship between the two countries. Hjjawi reviewed the reality of the local governance sector and the main challenges it faces, primarily the practices of occupation and its racist measures, in addition to highlighting the most important developmental and reform measures taken by the ministry to enhance decentralization, empower municipalities and village councils, and strengthen their ability to provide basic services to citizens. Hjjawi informed the visiting ambassador about the stages of the electoral process for local authority councils and the main changes included in the new law, as well as the nomination and election mechanisms, and the efforts made to enhance community participation across all segments. He pointed out that the Central Elections Commission fully oversees the electoral process in all its stages. For his part, Al-Badour affirmed the depth of the historical and brotherly relations between the two sister countries, emphasizing the Kingdom's keenness, both the King and the people, to provide all forms of support, assistance, and backing for the people in Palestine and to support all procedures, steps, and governmental efforts related to reform and development.