Planning minister meets with EU delegation

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury on Thursday met with a delegation from the EU Council’s  Mashreq/Maghreb Working Party, headed by Arend Wulff, who chairs the Mashreq Group and Jerome Cassiers, who chairs the Maghreb Group.

The delegation’s visit aims to take a firsthand look at the challenges that face Jordan and discuss cooperation between Jordan and the EU, a statement from the Planning Ministry said.

During the meeting, Fakhoury commended the EU’s support to Jordan, which helped in implementing the Kingdom’s development and reform programmes, as well as projects in vital sectors.

The minister called on the delegation to continue supporting the efforts to secure more aid for Jordan in the form of additional grants and concessional financing, the statement read.

Fakhoury briefed the delegation on the economic situation in the Kingdom, outlining the financial challenges facing Jordan in light of the regional crises. 

He stressed the need to ensure the financial stability, increasing growth rates and employment, the statement said.

The minister acquainted the officials on the comprehensive national development plan such as the Executive Development Programme 2018-2020, which includes the outcomes of the Plan to Stimulate the Economic Growth for the next five years all based on Jordan Document 2025.

He thanked the EU for supporting Jordan at the London and Brussels conferences, stressing the importance of fulfilling the donors’ commitments. He noted that the financing of the regional response plan to the Syrian crisis has not exceeded 39 per cent, according to the statement.

Fakhoury stressed that, despite the difficult regional situation, Jordan has managed to ensure its resilience, thanks to the support like the EU’s agreement to simplify the rules of origin for Jordanian products on the European markets.

For its part, the delegation commended Jordan’s pivotal role under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, in hosting Syrian refugees, and stressed its keenness to continue supporting the Kingdom.

The Mashreq/Maghreb Working Party deals with EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and community competence with regard to Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Western Sahara conflict, the Palestinian Authority, Syria and Tunisia. It also deals with EU cooperation with countries in North Africa and the Middle East, also known as the Union for the Mediterranean.

Between 2007 and 2017, the EU’s aid to Jordan reached 1.4 billion euros, with 180 million euros provided in concessional loan in 2015 to support the budget and 200 million euros in financial aid, the statement concluded.