Europe to help Jordan excute its economic policy
Jordan, Economics, 1/7/1998

The UK's ambassador to Jordan Christopher Battiscomb, whose country recently assumed leadership of the EU, and EU Commissioner in Jordan Yves Gazzo stated that the EU is committed to supporting Jordan.

The EU will provide Jordan with financial and technical support, they reiterated.

EU members will make room for Jordanian exports, and finance the execution of water, environmental, industrial and humanitarian aid projects, the two officials told reporters.

"The priority for Britain's presidency of EU in 1998 is to support and reinforce the substantive benefits between the EU and Jordan," Battiscomb said at the beginning of a press conference yesterday.

The volume of European aid to Jordan has been greatly increased in the last couple of years, he said. Jordan received $222 million in 1995 in contrast to $380 million last year, in addition to the EU's contribution to ONROI.

"EU's obligations to help Jordan were certified even during the Gulf War in 1991; the EU offered $330 million to support it," he stated.

"1997 witnessed an important event, the participation agreement with Jordan was ratified in last November," he said,"This agreement will result in increasing of substantive beneficial relations between the EU and Jordan. Britain will strengthen these relations during its presidency of the Union," he affirmed.

The EU is going to support and renew Jordanian industry to prepare for a regional free trade area in 2010. A working team to support Jordanian exports specified by the November agreement has been established.

There are more opportunities through which Jordan could be helped. The "Regional Culture Heritage Center Project" and the establishment of an office to cover humanitarian rescue operations in Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon are among those projects to be financed, he said.

Gazzo said he appreciated the measures have been initiated in Jordan to encourage and attract foreign investment to the country. He described those procedures as highly positive.

Battiscomb also said his country was eager for EU to have a real and practical participation with the USA in reaching a just resolution to the Middle East crisis during Britain's presidency of EU.

"The EU will play a role that coincides with its economic weight and European economical interests," he said. "My country will try to establish a permanent peace in the Middle East, it will act as a real participant with the US. We will absolutely cooperate with Washington and back its efforts to press the extended sides to honor their obligations."

Gazzo affirmed that the EU was trying to back Jordan's economy. "The EU will provide Jordan with technical support," he said.

Previous Stories:
  Jordan confirms participation in Israeli-Turkish maneuvers   (1/5/1998)
  Four Jordanians sentenced for planning attacks on Israel   (12/31/1997)
  Jordan - Iraq oil agreement   (12/30/1997)

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