Madaba, Oct. 27 (Petra) -- Greater Madaba Municipality (GMM) Committee head Haitham Juwainat and the mayor of the Palestinian municipality of Beit Sahour, Laith Qumsiyeh, signed a twinning agreement Tuesday to expand cooperation in cultural, tourism, heritage, development and municipal fields.

Under the agreement, a joint twinning and cooperation committee will be established. The committee will prepare annual work plans, follow up on joint projects, coordinate visits and delegations, and draw on both sides' resources and expertise to support local development and promote cultural and heritage tourism.

The deal also covers cooperation in organizing cultural events, exhibitions and festivals, exchanging artistic and folklore troupes, and developing joint tourism programs and routes.

During implementation process, the two sides will work to protect tangible and intangible heritage and promote the two cities' historical, cultural and tourism assets.

The agreement further provides for exchanging expertise between municipal staff, and cooperating in urban planning, digital transformation, waste management, public cleanliness, the environment and sustainability.

It also features support for artisans, small businesses and heritage industries, and encouragement of youth, student and sports initiatives.

//Petra// NQ