Amman: 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.

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.

Keywords: People