US trade secretary in Jordan
US Trade Secretary William Dally who arrived in Amman on Wednesday night and held talks with the Jordanian Crown Prince Hassan Bin Talal said that his country's administration seeks to support the Jordanian economy and to encourage investment in its territories.
A Jordanian official source said on Thursday that Dally stressed Washington's keenness to develop its economic and trade relations in the kingdom as well as to establish joint-venture projects between the two countries. The US secretary added that Prince Hassan discussed with him trade and economic relations between Jordan and the US and means of revitalizing them.
Present at the meeting which was held at the headquarters of the Central bank were the Prime Minister Fayez al-Trawenah, the chairman of the royal court Jawad al-Anani, the minister of trade and industry Muhammad Saleh al-Hourani and the Jordanian ambassador in Washington Marwan al Mu'ashar.
Dally will visit Jordan for three days. Then he will head to Israel, Lebanon, Egypt and the Palestinian territories.
However, a Jordanian official announced that his government "asked US support to eliminate obstacles and problems placed by the Israeli authorities before the Jordanian exports to the Palestinian Authorities areas." He explained that Dally's visit "furnishes for a quartet ministerial Jordanian, US, Israeli and Palestinian meeting which may be held next week to discuss the Israeli obstacles which prevent the flow of commodities between Jordan and the Palestinian authorities."
Amman says that the volume of its exports to the Palestinian self-rule area does not exceed $17 million per year due to obstacles placed by Israel. Amman added Israel still practically controls the two only crossings between Jordan and the West bank, following the elapse of five years after the self-rule agreement. On October 2nd, the Jordanian Premier visited Washington to urge the US administration to convince Israel to facilitate trade movement between Jordan and the Palestinian markets, already monopolized by Israel at more one billion dollars.