Today in Jericho, An Implementation Plan for cooperation of the Russian Federation and State of Palestine in the sphere of occupational safety and health, employment and training for 2017-2018 was signed within the visit of Russian Prime Minister Dmitriy Medvedev to the State of Palestine.

The document was signed by the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation Maxim Topilin and Minister of Labor of the State of Palestine Mamoun Abu Shahla.

According to the plan the parties intend to cooperate in the following areas:

• work of labor inspection, legislative regulation of the employers liability for non-compliance with labor legislation;
• state policy in the sphere of occupational safety and health including social insurance;
• preparation and training of personnel, technical experts and workers in accordance with international standards;
• introduction of new technologies and techniques designed to create favorable employment opportunities, work and operation of employment centers and job banks, to provide various forms of employment for all categories of workers;
• introduction of new technologies and techniques in professional training programs in centers for vocational training;
• qualifications assessment system, work of qualifications assessment centers;
• assessment system of skills of personnel as well as technical experts and training of teachers/experts working in educational institutions.
• labor mobility promotion.

Also, the action plan provides for the participation of the Palestinian side in the III All-Russian week of labor safety (VOET) which will be held in Sochi 10 - 14 April 2017. The VOET demonstrates the best world and domestic practice in the sphere of occupational safety and health management systems, considers preventive measures aimed at the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases.

This plan was adopted in order to implement the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation and Ministry of Labor of the State of Palestine in the sphere of labor and employment. The memorandum was signed within the framework of the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Russian-Palestinian commission for trade and economic cooperation (March 15, 2016, Ramallah, State of Palestine).

Other intergovernmental and interdepartmental documents that had been drafted within the Intergovernmental Russian-Palestinian commission for trade-economic cooperation were signed during the visit. In particular:

• Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and Government of the State of Palestine on promotion and mutual protection of investments;
• Joint statement of the Ministers of Culture to hold Days of the Russian Culture in Palestine and the Palestinian Culture Days in Russia in 2016-2017;
• Agreement on cooperation between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Chamber of Palestine;
• Memorandum of Understanding between the Association of clusters and technology parks and the Palestinian General Office of industrial cities and industrial free zones;
• Memorandum of Understanding between JSC "Special Economic Zones" and the Palestinian General Office of industrial cities and industrial free zones.

The Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation Maxim Topilin is a Co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Russian-Palestinian commission for trade and economic cooperation.