Fakhoury holds follow-up meeting on donor pledges

AMMAN — Jordan is counting on donor countries and UN agencies to honour the pledges announced at the London conference in February, according to Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury.

Speaking at the regular meeting with representatives of donor countries and UN organisations recently, Fakhoury said donors could provide assistance by supporting the budget and credit funds as well as projects implemented by the UN, NGOs or the private sector, according to a ministry statement released Saturday.

EU Ambassador to Jordan Andrea Matteo Fontana and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Jordan Edward Kallon attended the meeting, along with UN representatives and ambassadors from Arab and foreign countries. 

Fakhoury called for joint work to implement the commitments to the Kingdom announced by the international community in order to enable Jordan to overcome the challenges and repercussions of the Syrian crisis. 

He also reviewed the content of the Jordan Compact to deal with the repercussions of the Syrian crisis, which was prepared in cooperation with the UK, the World Bank, the EU and several partners from donor countries supporting the Kingdom. 

The planning minister said the compact entails turning the crisis into an opportunity to attract new investments, create job opportunities for Jordanians and support host communities through funding the Jordan Response Plan.

He stressed the Kingdom's commitment to ongoing reforms despite the various regional challenges.

For their part, the attendees said the international community is committed to the responsibilities announced in the London donor conference to ensure the full financing of the Jordan Response Plan and address budget needs through grants and soft loans over the next three years, according to the statement.