Local

AMMAN — The Royal Institute For Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, in cooperation with the Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II faculty of IT at the Hashemite University, on Tuesday organised a workshop on joint values to combat terrorism, a RIIFS statement said Wednesday.

Attendees at the workshop discussed the roots of extremism and violence, noting that it is not limited only to Arab and Muslim societies but permeates all societies. Discussions also covered Jordan as a role model in religious harmony.

AMMAN — The Jordan India Friendship Society (JIFS) on Tuesday celebrated the Indian festival Diwali (festival of lights) with children from the Amman-based Holy Land Society for Deaf.

At a dinner ceremony hosted by JIFS for the society’s children, Indian Ambassador to Jordan Anil Trigunayat highlighted the festival which spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair, according to an embassy statement.

Diwali, one of the largest and brightest festivals in India, is celebrated every year in autumn (northern hemisphere) or spring (southern hemisphere).

The ambassador expressed happiness to be celebrating the festival with the society’s children. JIFS President Faisal Al Rfouh and other members of the society attended the ceremony.

AMMAN — The Korean Green Energy Academy training programme started at Mutah University on Tuesday. Co-organised by Korea Southern Power (KOSPO) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) along with Hanvit DNS from Korea, the 10-day programme includes lectures delivered by Korean experts on renewable energy.

The programme will also acquaint students with KOSPO’s energy development businesses. The training is part of a two-year programme geared towards the development of the renewable energy industry in Jordan, according to a KOTRA statement.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday said the current regional developments will compel the international community to work together both militarily and diplomatically in the context of the Vienna talks.

Before a summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, the King said that such efforts "are something that you have been a strong sponsor of", according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty added that "Daesh, Al Qaeda and their offshoots want this to be a fight against humanity as well as Islam."

"Your fight against Daesh is a fight that all of us have to do together, not only in Syria and Iraq, but also you and I have said that this is a global war, a war that binds all of us together," the King noted.

"You and I have both talked for many years about the holistic nature of the challenge, how we have to combine international efforts... to fight this in Africa, in Asia as well as in our region.”

His Majesty, who returned to Jordan later on Tuesday, added that these are not just the challenges "we face in Syria and Iraq, but we have also seen terrorism in Saudi Arabia, Beirut, and unfortunately recently in Paris as well as Mali."

"I know that this is a fight that both you and I, our countries and many others in the world are determined to win," the statement quoted King Abdullah as saying.

"Again, this is an opportunity for all of us in the international community to come together and fight this fight as part of a coordinated international body."

Turning to Syria, the King told Putin that: "I have said for many, many years that the only way of finding a political solution in Syria is with the strong role that both you and Russia play for a political solution for the Syrian people."

His Majesty also offered his condolences and those of the Jordanian people over "the innocent Russians that lost their lives in the Metrojet terrorist attack, as well as the loss of your pilot today". 

Commending the strong bilateral ties, the King added that: “I have known you for many years and our relationship has always been a strong one, and I know that it will always continue from strength to strength.”

The Russian president welcomed His Majesty and the accompanying delegation, stressing Russia’s keenness on developing ties with Jordan and coordinating on various developments in the region.

“We are in close contact with each other. It is obvious that today, when there is such an intensive fight against international terrorism, we need to get united. And I am aware that our military and special forces are working in that right direction,” he said. 

Apart from that, Putin said there are also other issues to discuss, and thanked the King for his condolences.

“This event goes beyond [the] framework of regular fights against terrorism. Naturally, our military are pursuing a heroic path against terrorism. They are sacrificing themselves... But today’s event is the blow that has been given to us in our back by the accomplices to terrorists. There is only one way to qualify the event that took place today,” the Russian president said.

“Our jet was downed over the territories of Syria, by the air-to-air missile [of] the Turkish jet F-16. It fell on the territory of Syria, 4 kilometres from the borders with Turkey,” he added, stressing that the Russian pilots and their plane did not threaten Turkey.

When the aircraft was attacked in the air, it was flying at an altitude of 6,000 metres, 1 kilometre away from the Turkish territory, Putin said.

The pilots were conducting an operation to fight Daesh in northern Latakia — a mountainous area where militants, mainly those coming from Russian territories, are concentrated, he noted.

They were “doing their direct duty” of delivering “preventive blows” at terrorists who could threaten Russia’s security. 

People behind that, the president stressed, should be classified as international terrorists.

Putin also said that Russia has been “recording the movement of a large amount of oil and petroleum products” in Turkey, which were being seized from Syrian territory, noting that this is how the terror groups receive their funding.

“Now they are stabbing us in the back by hitting our planes that are fighting terrorism. This is happening despite the agreement we have signed with our American partners to prevent air incidents, and, as you know, Turkey is among those who are supposed to be fighting terrorism within the American coalition,” he added.

Daesh, he added is making “about tens or maybe even hundreds of millions, possibly billions of dollars in oil trade” and protecting itself through its armed militants.

“That is why... they are so blatant in their activities, why they are killing so many people using so many atrocities; why they are committing terrorist attacks throughout the world including in the heart of Europe,” Putin said, noting that Moscow will examine what happened “carefully”, and that the incident “will have significant consequences for Russian-Turkish relations”.

“We have always treated Turkey not merely as a close neighbour, but as a friendly state,” he added, stressing that Russia “certainly” does not benefit from what happened today.

“Instead of immediately getting in contact with us, as far as we know, the Turkish side immediately turned to their partners in NATO in order to discuss this incident. As if it was us who downed the Turkish jet and not vice versa. Do they want to put NATO at the service of [Daesh]?” he asked.

“I understand that every state has its regional interests and we always respected that; but we would never tolerate these atrocities... I really hope that the international community will make it and [unite] in the fight against common evil,” the Russian president said.

“In this context, we really count on the active participation of all countries of the region. And we are really glad to have you here today, Your Majesty. We will continue working with your experts, with your special forces and military...”

In extended talks, attended by senior officials from both countries, King Abdullah and Putin also expressed their keenness to develop bilateral relations at all levels to achieve the interests of both countries and peoples, highlighting the importance of expanding their strategic partnership, especially at the economic and military levels.

Deliberations also covered crises in regional countries and efforts to deal with them in a way that maintains their security and stability, the statement added.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh; King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben; King’s National Security Adviser and General Intelligence Department Director Gen. Faisal Shobaki; and National Policies Council Rapporteur Abdullah Wreikat attended the meeting.

In addition, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other senior Russian officials were present at the talks.

Putin also hosted a lunch banquet in honour of King Abdullah and the accompanying delegation in the presence of senior Russian officials.

AMMAN — Investments in the country’s renewable energy sector exceed JD1 billion at present and are expected to increase significantly in the next few years as more projects are in the pipeline, according to investment and energy officials.

Renewable energy is “one of the most attractive and rapidly growing sectors in terms of attracting investments”, Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) President Montaser Oklah told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

“This sector is witnessing great momentum, and investors’ appetite to channel money into solar and wind energy projects is growing,” Oklah said.

The entire ecosystem for renewable energy projects in Jordan is promising and encouraging as studies by energy authorities indicate that the Kingdom has more than 300 sunny days a year, according to experts. 

In addition, wind speeds in the northern region reach as high as 7.5 metres per second and 11.5 metres per second in the eastern areas of the country.

“Jordan is also planning to expand the grid’s capacity to absorb more renewable energy projects… We have seen many projects launched and there are more to come,” Oklah added.

Earlier this week, Abdul Latif Jameel Energy and Environmental Services, and its portfolio company Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), a developer of large-scale solar power plants, announced the signing of a power purchase agreement (PPA) for a planned 50-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic power plant in Jordan.

The PPA, which was signed with the National Electric Power Company, is valid for 20 years. The PPA was signed at 4.898 piasters (6.93 US cents) per kilowatt-hour.

To be established in Mafraq, in the northern region, the plant is part of the government’s plans to generate 10 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Scheduled to commence operations in 2017, the power plant represents 1 per cent of Jordan’s overall generation capacity and will supply 155 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, sufficient to power over 40,000 average homes in the country, according to the company.

The project is the first of four solar power plants to be built in Jordan as part of the second round of the Kingdom's solar independent power producer tender, totalling 200MW.

“Agreements for several solar and wind energy projects will be signed in the near future,” Haidar Gammaz, spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, told The Jordan Times recently.

“With the expansion of the grid’s capacity, we will see more projects in the sector which is among the government’s top priorities to help slash the energy bill,” he said.

Jordan imports about 97 per cent of its energy needs annually at about 18 per cent of the gross domestic product.

Renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 1,600MW will be operational by 2018, Energy Minister Ibrahim Saif told the press this week.

These projects will increase the grid’s capacity from 4,000MW to 5,600MW.

AMMAN — A patient-based approach to healthcare is key to enhancing the quality of medical services, an international expert said Tuesday.

Cliff Hughes, president of the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua), also called for encouraging young workers in the healthcare sector to come up with innovative ideas for boosting the quality of services.

“Young people do not have the constraints that people, who have been doing things one way for a long time, have,” Hughes told The Jordan Times in an interview on the sidelines of the first day of the Health Care Accreditation Council’s (HCAC) Third Quality Healthcare Conference and Exhibition in Amman.

He commended the young generation’s quickness and ability to develop technology-based solutions for problems they observe, but also highlighted the wisdom of workers with longer experience as a crucial component in quality healthcare.

Coordination between clinical and managerial aspects can help hospitals receiving large numbers of patients rise to the challenge of offering quality services, he said.

The medical expert, who has 25 years of experience as a cardiothoracic surgeon, noted that not all medical cases require treatment at hospitals, as some may be treated at home; therefore resources can be directed to those most in need.

The HCAC is the first and only institution in the Arab region that has achieved all three ISQua accreditations: for its healthcare and social care standards, surveyors’ certification course, and its role as an external evaluation organisation, according to Hughes.

He said the three accreditations “mean a lot to Jordan, the region and ISQua”, adding that the development of healthcare system has enabled the Kingdom to become a “leading healthcare provider regionally and internationally”.

In his keynote speech at the opening of the two-day conference, held under the patronage of HRH Princess Muna, Hughes listed confrontation, innovation, commitment, empowerment and fulfilment as the five principles for enhancing quality healthcare services.

HCAC Chairman Amjad Aryan said the conference seeks to widen the comprehensiveness of quality healthcare to include services, education and experiences of patients, infection control, data collection, best practices and accreditation.

Aryan told The Jordan Times that the forum also seeks to focus healthcare professionals’ efforts on patient-based services and catering for patients’ needs.

The conference brings together some 400 participants from local private, public, educational and military medical institutions as well as from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Sudan, Palestine and Iraq, according to HCAC CEO Salma Jaouni.

By showcasing real-life incidents, the conference encourages medical service providers to reassess their communication with patients, she said, citing a series of Royal and ministerial directives aiming to sustain Jordan as a “hub for quality healthcare”.

The conference also features specialised workshops and over 30 lectures.

AMMAN — The Lower House on Tuesday endorsed its reply to His Majesty King Abdullah’s Speech from the Throne.

Under Article 79 of the Constitution, each of the two Houses of Parliament submits its reply to the Speech from the Throne. 

The House will refer its reply to the King within two weeks from His Majesty's inauguration of the ordinary session, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

During Tuesday's afternoon session, deputies continued with the election of its permanent committees.

Members of the financial, Palestine, villages and badia, national guidance, agriculture, economy and investment, foreign affairs, social development, family affairs, and water committees were selected. 

The Lower House bylaws set the maximum number of members of each committee at 11 and the minimum at 7.

Members of each committee will hold separate meetings on Wednesday to elect their chairpersons, vice chairs and rapporteurs, according to Petra.

In his Speech from the Throne, delivered on November 15, King Abdullah underlined that Jordan has succeeded in turning challenges into opportunities by adopting a comprehensive roadmap seeking to achieve progress, sustainable development and a better future for Jordanians. 

The King cited the municipalities, decentralisation, political parties and elections laws as the cornerstones of the envisioned reform, calling for "the highest degree of cooperation and coordination between all institutions" to build on success achieved in various sectors.

Improving the living conditions of Jordanians is the first and foremost national priority, His Majesty told lawmakers, calling for more efforts to achieve that.

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Tuesday expressed her interest in the Arab Reading Challenge and support for efforts to increase awareness on the importance of reading among students in the Arab world.

The Queen made the remarks during a meeting with Najla Al Shamesi, director general of the Arab Reading Challenge, which was launched by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, according to a statement from her office.

The initiative is considered the largest Arab project aimed at encouraging students in the Arab world to read, with more than a million students committing to read 50 million extracurricular books every academic year.

During the meeting, Shamesi praised Queen Rania’s efforts and contribution to the fields of education and childhood, stressing that the Arab Reading Challenge will contribute to improving global rankings of Arab students in reading, the statement said.

She noted that the project targets students in the Arab world and the children of Arab communities across the world at all school levels. 

The project also seeks to develop students’ self-learning and thinking skills, as well as instil values of national pride and an Arab sense of belonging.

AMMAN — Students and members of the National Campaign for Defending Students’ Rights (Thabahtoona) on Tuesday criticised the University of Jordan (UJ) geography textbook for containing words that “promote normalisation” of ties with Israel. 

“We are not used to seeing a book at Jordanian universities that recognises the Zionist entity and the state of what is referred to as ‘Israel’,” Thabahtoona coordinator Fakher Daas told The Jordan Times.

According to Daas, this is the first time any academic book has been used in Jordanian universities that includes the word “Israel” without mention of Palestine. 

Students disapproved of the first two paragraphs on page 13 in the 2015 edition of the geography book, which was written by Ziyad Makhamreh, Yusra Husban, Hamzeh Khawaldeh, Abdul Fattah Lutfi, Dalal Zureiqat, and Nazeeh Manasyeh, and edited by Makhamreh and Husban from the faculty of arts’ geography department.

The first paragraph on page 13 states that “the economic importance of the Gulf of Aqaba increased after the occupation of Palestine, as it is considered the only port that connects Jordan to the world”. 

The second paragraph on the same page reads: “… Aqaba Gulf plays an important role in geopolitics between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel, for its proximity to Arabian oil fields.” 

“Authors of the book clearly mentioned the names of Jordan’s neighbouring countries, so mentioning Palestine or the occupied lands wouldn’t have made a difference,” Daas said.

“The book has been in bookshops for three years now and professors insist on keeping the text, which proves that what is written in the manuscript was not a mistake,” he added. 

Daas believes the phrasing used in the book is a way of encouraging young Jordanians to “normalise” ties with Israel.

A student who is taking the geography course this semester said the page’s content was discussed with some of the book’s authors during lectures. 

“At first, we were in shock… it was the first time [‘Israel’] is identified as such in our curricula. The professors explained it to us and it makes sense, but anyone would misunderstand it when it is written like that,” said the student, who preferred to remain unnamed. 

Book editor and co-author Makhamreh told The Jordan Times that the state of Israel is recognised in the UN and students should separate sentiments from reality. 

“The part where Aqaba Gulf is mentioned was misunderstood by many students. We meant that the port attracted more attention after a competitor came to the region,” noted Husban, the other editor.

“We must understand that there is an entity sharing the land with us,” she added.

Makhamreh said the authors and editors received several complaints about the issue, but there is a difference between “providing academic facts” and delivering a speech “only to gain people’s sympathy”, noting that the terms used in the book are “academic” and “political”. 

Husban and Makhamreh said the book does not represent the viewpoint of any official bodies — only its authors’. 

Professor Ibrahim Shraah from UJ’s history department said that although the content provided in the book is correct, it could have been “phrased better”.

“Jordan and Palestine used to conduct business together during the British mandate. Economic relations were present until the Zionists occupied more than 80 per cent of Palestine’s land in 1948,” Shraah told The Jordan Times.

“… It does not mean that the occupation of Palestine served Jordan… the Aqaba Port was expanded to support importing and exporting products,” he added.

Shraah said the Kingdom’s deals with Palestine were interrupted when “the Zionists” took over, which prompted official institutions in Jordan to develop the port as the Kingdom’s only “access point” to the world’s economy.

The next edition of the book will be released in 2016 and Israel will be replaced with “the occupied territories” or Palestine, according to Husban.

AMMAN — The Industry, Trade and Supply Ministry and the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) signed a memorandum of understanding to increase cooperation and streamline measures for the import and inspection of wheat shipments, according to a ministry statement issued Tuesday. 

The memorandum specifies procedures to increase transparency in the wheat import process and speed up measures and tests the shipments undergo in order to encourage traders to bid for the tenders issued by the ministry to maintain a safe strategic reserve of wheat. 

It also aims at diversifying the sources from which wheat is imported, the statement said, adding that a similar memorandum for barley will be signed with the Agriculture Ministry. 

The memo states that tests of shipments' quality and validity for human consumption are to be conducted in the Aqaba Port and the JFDA commits to issuing the results in four to six days, according to the statement.

Importers will be allowed to witness tests on the goods they import, the statement said, adding that the ministry or the importer will have the right to re-test the wheat at an objective local lab accredited by the JFDA, which will boost traders' trust in the accuracy of the examinations. 

The ministry called on importers to bid for the tenders it floats weekly to buy wheat, as its new measures are designed to address their fears, the statement said, noting that no importer has submitted bids for six tenders the ministry recently floated. 

Jordan imports a million tonnes of wheat and barley annually. 

The memo comes after the rejection of a 52,000-tonne Polish wheat shipment valued at JD15 million raised controversy earlier this year.

The JFDA insisted that the shipment, which has since been re-exported, does not meet standards, while the importers requested re-testing to prove it is in line with local standards. 

The importing company, Smart Solutions, requested re-conducting the tests, objecting to the JFDA’s testing procedures that “violated legal sampling and testing measures”. But the administration refused.