Preston City Council has formally signed a Friendship Agreement with the Palestinian City of Hebron

At a recent ceremony at the Town Hall, the Leader of Preston City Council, Councillor Matthew Brown, and Deputy Mayor of Preston, Councillor Nweeda Khan, welcomed a group of young people from Bethlehem and the West Bank to Preston, as part of their wider tour of UK towns and cities.

Following emotive music and dance performances by the young group, a separate signing ceremony of the official Friendship Agreement with the City of Hebron took place.

The Burnley-born former Consul General attended the event in Jerusalem, Sir Vincent Fean, one of the patrons of the Britain Palestine Friendship and Twinning Network, which facilitated the agreement.

Husam Zomlot, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the UK, dialled in, as did friendship agreement signatory Asmaa Hatem Nasser Al-Shurbati, the Deputy Mayor of Hebron, who put her name to the document along with her Preston counterpart, Deputy Mayor Councillor Nweeda Khan.

Councillor Matthew Brown, Leader of Preston City Council, said:

"We are pursuing the friendship with Hebron in the spirit of peace and community and in support of the humanitarian plight of the people of that city and the wider region. We do not endorse any individual and continue to condemn intolerance and violence of any kind, and have done consistently since we set out on this journey.

The friendship Agreement we have signed is with the place and its people, to share knowledge of our cultures and traditions, bringing our citizens closer together, sharing the values of tolerance, respect and understanding. By working with young people and community groups, promoting cultural exchanges through sport, education and art of mutual interest to the people of each city, we will strive to reinforce the ties of friendship."

More than 40 places across the world have a relationship with Hebron, including Spain, France, the UK, Italy and Greece and the establishment of Preston's relationship with Hebron has been led and facilitated by the British Palestinian Friendship and Twinning Network.

A steering group has also been formed to help progress the friendship with Hebron, and for those who would like to be involved and support the friendship agreement.

Preston City Council chose Hebron as the location for its Palestinian friendship agreement, because of the 'commonalities between the two places as industrial cities with diverse populations'.

The city is one of the oldest in the Middle East and has a population of just over 200,000. It boasts significant agriculture, glass and leather industries, and it is a major trading centre.

Download the Hebron Friendship Agreement (PDF, 109 KB)