Putin 'at loss' after Bethlehem street named for him
ISRAEL: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he was "at a
bit of a loss" that a street was named after him in Bethlehem, revered
by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus.
Putin spoke in Jordan as he wrapped up his Middle East tour, which
included a stop in Bethlehem in the West Bank and talks with Palestinian
President Mahmud Abbas who ordered a street to be named after his guest.
"I would like to live a bit longer," Putin quipped, referring to a
European tradition according to which streets are named after the
deceased."It was absolutely unexpected to me," he told reporters in the
Jordan Valley, the last stop of his two-day tour, which included a visit
to Israel and talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II.
"To be honest, I am at a bit of a loss but there's nothing you could
do," he said, indicating he did not want to protest so as not to offend
his host.
After Putin's predecessor in the Kremlin, Dmitry Medvedev, travelled
to Jericho in the West Bank last year a decision was made to name a
street after him.
AFP
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