Planning minister meets with Italian Senate committee members, ambassador

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan on Monday met with members of the Italian Senate's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, led by Stefania Craxi, to explore ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between Jordan and Italy, according to a ministry statement.

Toukan emphasised the importance of the delegation’s visit to the Kingdom in strengthening the bilateral relations, and commended the deep strategic partnership between Jordan Italy and its vital role in supporting the Kingdom’s priorities and development efforts.

She also expressed her appreciation to Italy for the assistance provided through the current memorandum of understanding within the Italian Aid Programme 2021-2023, highlighting the crucial role of the assistance in supporting national priorities, particularly in the health, agriculture, education and social protection sectors.

The minister also acknowledged the support extended to refugees and host communities.

During the meeting, the minister provided the Italian delegation, including Italian Ambassador Luciano Pezzotti and the Director of the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development, with an overview of Jordan's political, economic and administrative reform paths. She outlined the sectoral priorities included in the Executive Programme of the Economic Modernisation Vision for the 2023-2025 period. 

She also drew attention to the significant challenges Jordan faces, such as the Kingdom’s hosting of a large number of Syrian refugees, and the associated impact on the country's budget and economy. 

Toukan emphasised the importance of sustained support from the international community for refugees and host communities to allow the government to continue providing essential healthcare, education, water and municipal services, among others. 

She also highlighted the decline in support allocated to the Jordanian Response Plan for the Syrian Crisis, which has reached only 7.5 per cent of its funding requirements. 

Toukan urged the international community to fulfil its commitments to host countries by continuing to provide funding. 

Craxi commended the strategic Jordanian-Italian partnership and expressed her appreciation for the ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation in areas of shared interest. 

She emphasised Italy's unwavering support for Jordan and as well as her country’s commitment to priority projects and development programmes aligned with the Economic Modernisation Vision. 

Under the coming memorandum of understanding for the Italian Assistance Programme (2024-2026), Italy is demonstrating its recognition of the significant challenges Jordan faces, particularly those related to hosting Syrian refugees, she said.