REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MALANG -- The city government of Malang, East Java, has established cooperation for development with its counterpart from Hebron, Palestine. The cooperation was marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Mayor of Malang Sutiaji and Mayor of Hebron Tayseer Abu Sneineh at the Malang City Hall, Monday.

The MoU covered opportunities for cooperation in varied fields, including disaster and crisis management, public policy, education and training, tourism, as well as sports. The details of cooperation to be discussed further.

"Some fields (of cooperation) offered include education, tourism, and investment," Sutiaji noted.

Education cooperation has been established between Malang and Hebron, with four Palestinian students currently studying at the Brawijaya University through scholarship. In the area of tourism, both cities have cultural heritages that can be developed to attract more tourists to visit.

Meanwhile, the Hebron city government offers investment in developing hospitals, waste management facility, and fire extinguishers. Mayor of Hebron Sneineh said the signing of the MoU was the first step to initiating regional development cooperation.

"Malang and Hebron share similarities. In terms of improving education, Malang City has provided scholarships for Palestinian students," Sneineh explained.

The MoU will be effective for a year since its signing to explore future collaboration that prioritizes the principle of equality and mutual benefit. The cooperation will serve as a basis to develop Malang and Hebron into smart cities in areas to be agreed upon in future.

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