In Bethlehem a street was named after Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said 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, AFP reported.

Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian National Authority, told Putin Tuesday that the mayor of Bethlehem has decided to name a street in the city after Putin because it would show how much the Palestinians value the Russian president and the Russian people, the New York Daily News reports.

Putin and Abbas opened a new Russian centre for science and culture in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.