Strong US-Jordan ties unaffected by ‘funding lapse’ — US diplomat

AMMAN — “The American-Jordanian partnership has never been stronger and the lapse in funding for some US government agencies does not change this,” said US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Jim Barnhart.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo highlighted the strength of US-Jordanian ties, according to Barnhart, when he made Jordan his first stop last week, on a nine-country tour in the Middle East.

He quoted Pompeo as saying that Jordan is “one of the United States’ enduring strategic partners in the region”.

During his visit, Secretary Pompeo also highlighted the importance of the five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed nearly a year ago, Barnhart underlined.

Notably, the MoU promised an annual $1.275 billion assistance package for the years 2018-2022 to Jordan, totalling at some $6.37 billion.

In 2018, he added, US Congress increased the pledged package to $1.525 billion, which included $1.08 billion in economic assistance and $425 million in military support for the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army.

For more than six decades the United States and Jordan have worked side-by-side to improve economic stability, strengthen democratic governance and deliver essential services to the people of this country, Barnhart stated. 

This “critical work will endure for years to come”, the diplomat concluded.

His Majesty King Abdullah and Crown Prince HRH Hussein met with Pompeo and discussed bolstering Jordan’s strategic partnership with the US.

His Majesty and Pompeo also discussed the recent developments in the Middle East, as numerous issues were addressed.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Adviser to the King and Director of His Majesty’s Office Manar Dabbas also attended the meeting, as well as Barnhart.