Officials discuss proposals for Romanian-Palestinian emergency intervention cooperation

AGERPRES special correspondent to Ramallah, Palestine, Dana Purgaru reports: Major General Nidal Abu Dukhan, commander of the Palestinian national security forces, said on Thursday in Ramallah that Palestine is interested collaborating with Romania, especially in the area of training for special emergency interventions in extreme situations, such as hostage taking, but also in first-aid classes for disasters. 

Abu Dukhan proposed that the theoretical stage of the specialist training be conducted in Palestine, and physical training in Romania. 

The Palestinian official made these proposals at a meeting with Secretary of State with the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs Raed Arafat, who is also the head of the Emergency Department. The meeting was also attended by the head of the Representative Office of Romania in Ramallah, Catalin-Mihai Tirlea. 

Arafat said that the way the Palestinian National Security Force operates is similar to that of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Gendarmerie, adding at the meeting that Abu Dukhan's proposals are feasible under a partnership, given that Romania has a vast experience both in emergency interventions and in first aid. 

The meeting took place on the side-lines of the second Palestinian-Romanian International Medical Congress organised by the Association of Palestinian Physicians and Pharmacists of Romania (AMFPR) in collaboration with the Palestine Ministry of Health, the Embassy of Palestine and the Department of Emergencies in Romania, under the aegis of the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. 

Attending the medical congress held on Thursday and Friday at the Red Crescent Association Hall of Al-Bireh are over a hundred doctors from Romania and Palestine of different specialties, together with Romanian and Palestinian officials. 

The first Palestinian-Romanian Medical Congress with international participation organised by the Association of Palestinian Physicians and Pharmacists of Romania took place in Bucharest, April 9-11, 2014.