Jordan, EU reaffirm ‘solid partnership’

AMMAN — The European Union and Jordan on Monday reconfirmed their “solid partnership and their strong cooperation” on political, security, trade and cooperation matters during a high-level virtual meeting jointly chaired by Marwan Al Refai, Acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and Carl Hallergard, Deputy Managing Director in the Middle East and North Africa Department of the European External Action Service (EEAS). 

This meeting is part of the regular political dialogue under the EU-Jordan Association Agreement of 1997 and the EU-Jordan Partnership Priorities agreed in December 2016, according to a statement made available to The Jordan Times.

Representatives from the EU and Jordan discussed a range of subjects in the political, security, trade and cooperation areas. 

In the context of the implementation of their Association Agreement and in pursuing their Partnership Priorities, they reviewed progress in Jordan's economic reforms and on socio-economic themes of joint work. In particular, these include Jordan's green growth and climate actions, its trade to the EU, and research and innovation, the statement said. 

They also exchanged views on the political reforms in Jordan, as well as the human rights situation, and reviewed their technical and financial cooperation. 

As part of their political dialogue, they discussed regional developments and their impact in Jordan, notably the situation in Syria, the need for “a political horizon” for the Middle East peace process and Iraq. 

The two sides took stock of the achievements made in the last years, and confirmed their mutual commitment to continue to enhance their cooperation and bring about greater progress in all domains discussed, according to the statement. 

The meeting helped identify, in particular, a number of issues for further cooperation. It also set the ground for consolidating their already excellent relations, following the recent visits of His Majesty King Abdullah to Brussels and of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Amman.

The meeting took place less than two years after the EU-Jordan Association Council, at a time when Jordan and the EU are engaged in joint work to meet numerous common challenges, including those resulting from the recent crisis between Israelis and Palestinians, the long-lasting conflict in Syria and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, concluded the statement.