Jordan, EU sign two grant agreements worth 20m euros

AMMAN — Jordan and the EU on Wednesday signed two grant agreements each worth 10 million Euros to support economic growth and partnerships, a Planning Ministry statement said.

The first grant agreement will be allocated for the “Trade-for-Development" project to enhance inclusive economic growth in the Kingdom through supporting startups and SMEs with a special focus on the northern region.

It also seeks to help in meeting the exporting requirements to the EU under the simplified Rules of Origin  agreement.

Al Quds College will provide services to Jordanian and Syrian entrepreneurs in the northern regions to strengthen their exporting capacities, the statement said.

The grant was signed by Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury and Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.

The second grant will finance the project "Support the Implementation of the Partnership Priorities in Jordan", which targets the institutional structure of the public sector and aims at providing technical assistance and twinning projects to government agencies involved in the Jordanian-EU partnership, the statement said.

Earlier in the day, Fakhoury and Hahn discussed means to bolster cooperation between Jordan and the EU, in the presence of EU Ambassador to Jordan Andrea Matteo Fontana.

The two sides also discussed preparations for the upcoming Brussels Conference on Syria, slated for April 24-25.

Fakhoury highlighted the importance of the conference in following up on the international support pledges to Jordan made during the 2016 “Supporting Syria and the Region” in London.

The minister said that the Kingdom sees the upcoming conference in Brussels as a "opportunity to present the Jordanian model in handling the refugee crisis, maintain the momentum of action for 2018 and next years and urge for sustainable financing tools by donor parties".

He said that support to refugee-burdened countries should take into consideration the current situation and needs of each country hosting Syrian refugees.

For his part, Hahn expressed the EU's appreciation for Jordan's efforts in dealing with the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on behalf of the international community.

The commissioner stressed the EU's commitment to support the Kingdom, which he said is a "pivotal partner" of the union.