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AMMAN — Jordan is working to achieve regional security and stability, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Abdullah Ensour said Tuesday, stressing that the Kingdom does not interfere in other countries' domestic affairs and has no parties abroad carrying out such a role.

At a meeting with Turkish Air Force Commander Gen. Abidin Unal and his accompanying delegation, discussions addressed means to boost cooperation and training exchange between the two countries' air forces, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Ensour welcomed Unal's visit, saying it will reflect positively on Jordanian-Turkish relations.  

The Turkish air force chief stressed Jordan's important role in achieving regional security, noting that the two countries are suffering as a result of the repercussions of the Syrian crisis and hosting millions of Syrian refugees, Petra reported. 

Also on Tuesday, King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben met with Unal and his accompanying delegation. 

Discussions addressed military cooperation, according to Petra.

AMMAN — Jordan plans to provide factories with natural gas, which is much cheaper than heavy fuel and diesel, in order to increase their competitiveness, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said Tuesday.

Noting that the industrial sector consumes about 25 per cent of electricity generated in the Kingdom and about 20 per cent of overall energy resources, the premier said the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Aqaba will facilitate such a project.

Ensour made the remarks at the opening of the ENERGIZE Jordan 2015 conference, attended by more than 300 representatives of the energy and industrial sectors, and local and international experts.

“The LNG imports significantly reduced our energy spending. At present, about 85 per cent of the power generated in the Kingdom relies on LNG, and in the upcoming stage we will work on supplying natural gas to factories,” Ensour said at the one-day event, held by the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) in cooperation with the Energy Ministry, the German Development Agency and the USAID-Jordan Competitiveness Programme.

Highlighting that the high energy bill is one of the main issues facing the country, the premier said energy subsidies and spending increased the public debt by JD5.1 billion over the past five years.

Jordan’s energy imports amounted to JD4.5 billion last year, representing 18 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.

Ensour underlined the need for industrial facilities to adopt energy-efficient solutions and projects to reduce their costs.

“We have an ambitious plan for the energy sector that will help boost the economy,” he said, adding that renewable energy projects with total capacity of 1,500 megawatts will be operational by the end of 2018.

The government will also implement a series of projects to expand the grid’s capacity to 5,000 megawatts at the end of 2018, which will help absorb more projects.

Adnan Abu Al Ragheb, first deputy chairman of the JCI, said adoption of renewable energy projects in the industrial sector will play a key role in reducing challenges.

“Such projects will significantly reduce costs for industrial facilities and make the sector more competitive, whether locally or internationally,” Abu Al Ragheb added.

He also stressed the importance of promoting energy efficiency in the industrial sector.

Participants at the conference highlighted the pivotal role renewable energy projects play in sustainable development and preserving the environment.

They also discussed challenges hindering the adoption of these projects in the industrial sector.

AZRAQ REFUGEE CAMP – Ghaliah Ghaffari had no clue about football, the world’s most popular game, before the outbreak of civil war in her home country of Syria.

Yet after she was forced to seek refuge in Jordan and settle in Zaatari Refugee Camp two years ago, her interest in the sport began to develop. 

“I spent the past two years learning football, because it is a new activity in my life. It gave me the opportunity to train for myself and give training to others. I now feel that I am responsible for girls in the camp,” she told The Jordan Times. 

Ghaffari had the chance to further hone her skills when she joined a group of 36 Jordanians and Syrians in a football coaching workshop conducted by three English coaches.

The workshop is organised and funded by the English Premier League in partnership with the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP) and World Vision Jordan in Azraq Refugee Camp, some 100km east of Amman and 20km west of the town of Azraq in Zarqa Governorate.

The course, which will wrap up on Thursday, is conducted by head coach Jeremy Weeks, supported by Laura Nicholls from the Wolverhampton Wanderers and Warren Leat representing Stoke City.  

The workshop is aimed at setting up a new football league for boys and girls living in the Azraq camp, according to an AFDP statement.

The camp is currently home to 27,701 refugees, according to the UNHCR’s latest figures.

Weeks, who delivers international football development programmes across the world as part of the Premier League’s Premier Skills initiative, said there is a lot of media attention in the UK around the plight of Syrian refugees, and it is a privilege for him to be able to bring positivity to the lives of refugees in Jordan through the game. 

“We will give them more skills [so] that they can deliver activities for young people here in the camp. It is really important for us because we believe that football can be a really powerful tool in engaging young people and bringing a certain normality to their lives, while providing the adults with skills and education,” he told The Jordan Times during the opening ceremony of the workshop.  

Nicholls said the workshop is a good opportunity for her to show girls that they can have equal opportunities in sports and to bring her experiences in the UK to Jordan.  

“Interest in football among girls is growing massively. Hopefully I can share... some of the experiences I have had with Syrian refugees and give them some skills they can... take with them back to their homes,” she added.  

Urs Zanitti, CEO of AFDP, said football is an important element in the lives of children. 

“They need to be active, they need to be playing, and with the Premier League coming here, we can give them high-class quality coaching skills, because these coaches are experienced,” he told The Jordan Times. 

The AFDP official said they decided to hold the event in Azraq camp because similar activities have taken place in Zaatari.

“But it is also about bringing in other coaches from outside the camp... for [the benefit of] Jordanian coaches, and our aim is to bring the refugees [closer to] the Jordanian community to do something together and learn something about each other,” Zanitti added.  

Musa Banna, a 35-year-old Syrian from Daraa, said the workshop was a good idea because both children and adults will benefit. 

“The pitches in the camp enable the children to express their positive energy and forget the difficult conditions they have suffered,” added Banna, who was a children’s coach in Qatar before the crisis began in Syria.  

Ghaffari promised to give her daughter her utmost support if she decides to play football.

“Though many people around me opposed my decision, I was determined to learn more about football. My dream is to become a skilled coach and teach more children.”

AMMAN — China’s Middle East envoy on Tuesday expressed his country’s readiness to play a larger role in addressing regional conflicts, emphasising that political solutions are key to resolving these issues.

“China is ready to play a more constructive, positive and a larger role in the region… We are also keen on increased coordination and cooperation with Jordan in this regard,” China’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Gong Xiaosheng told reporters in Amman.

The Chinese official said military solutions will not suffice to resolve conflicts in the Middle East, voicing China’s concern over growing violence in the region, waves of refugees, and the rise of terrorist groups and radical ideologies.

“Military solutions will not completely eradicate terrorism and solve problems in the region,” he said.

“In light of the ongoing conditions in the Middle East and the escalating circumstances, the international community should exert increased efforts to find lasting and fair political solutions to the issues in the region,” he added. 

The official noted that key differences between regional powers with regard to pressing issues have delayed efforts to find solutions.

He highlighted the strategic ties between Beijing and Amman and the significance of continued bilateral coordination to address regional developments, saying China would continue to boost cooperation with Jordan in this area.

The situation of the Palestinian people remains the core of the Middle East’s interrelated issues, the envoy added.

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Tuesday inaugurated the Ya Hafeth Ya Ameen exhibition, a collaboration between the collections of Widad Kawar and Sami MoawiyahYousef.

Silver ornaments from Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Oman are on display at the exhibition, held at the Widad Kawar Home for Arab Dress, Tiraz. 

The exhibition showcases a wide selection of silver jewellery incorporating amulets and talismans from the early 20th century, with a full costume of each representative country, outlining some of the superstitions of people from that era, a statement from Her Majesty’s office said. 

The various pieces were used in a time when people widely believed in supernatural powers, the statement added.

The permanent collection of Tiraz is also on display and has evolved to include a more extensive collection of costumes and home utensils from mainly Jordanian and Palestinian cities; this was done with the help of Tiraz’s foreign consultant Brigitte Schön from Switzerland. 

During Ya Hafeth Ya Ameen, which will run until March 28^,  2016, visitors will be able to create replicas of their favourite amulets, while a treasure hunt among the showcases of different areas will be organised for children to enjoy during their visit. 

Tiraz is a nonprofit organisation that aims to preserve and promote the region’s rich cultural heritage.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday telephoned French President Francois Hollande and offered his condolences and sympathies over the victims of the "cowardly terrorist attacks" that recently hit Paris.

During the call, King Abdullah condemned the "heinous" criminal act, stressing the support of Jordan's leadership and people for the French president and people in overcoming this incident, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty also noted that the Kingdom is going ahead with its war against terrorism and criminal groups.

He offered his condolences to the victims' families and wished the injured a speedy recovery, the statement added.

AMMAN — The Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) on Tuesday announced the arrest of 13 suspected drug dealers and addicts in the capital.

AND agents arrested the 13 suspects, including a Syrian, during consecutive raids on nine houses in Sahab that lasted three hours, a senior AND official said.

“No one was injured in any of the raids that started at around 6am on Monday,” the official told The Jordan Times.

Many of the suspects were asleep, “which facilitated our operation and prevented any injuries or resistance on their part”, the official added.

AND agents are still searching for two suspects who own two of the homes in Sahab and were not there during the raids, according to the AND official.

The raids resulted in the confiscation of guns, automatic rifles, money earned from illicit drug transactions and various illegal narcotics, according to a statement issued by the Public Security Department (PSD). The suspects were referred to the State Security Court prosecutor for further questioning, according to the PSD statement.

Speaking at a lecture in September, Deputy PSD Director for Criminal Investigation Affairs Maj. Gen. Tahsin Momani said 5,490 drug cases were registered in the first six months of 2015, 468 of which were related to trafficking, 36 to addiction and 4,986 to possession.

AMMAN — Young leaders who have made a considerable mark in their respective fields are convening at the One Young World Summit 2015 in Bangkok, which opens on Wednesday.

Among the speakers at the four-day event is Jordanian Lina Khalifeh, founder of SheFighter for martial arts and self-defence training.

She will be delivering a speech addressing His Majesty King Abdullah on climate change.

“In Jordan, for example, we have been witnessing strong snowstorms, which we are not sufficiently prepared for. This means that underprivileged areas, such as refugee camps, are hit hardest,” Khalifeh told The Jordan Times in a recent phone interview.

In her speech, the activist will also focus on the role young people can play in mitigating the impact of climate change through volunteerism.

In addition, Khalifeh will speak about gender equality and women’s empowerment.

“It is estimated that 70 per cent of women under 20 in the Arab world have been subjected to one form of violence, mainly domestic,” she said, stressing the need for men and women to work side-by-side to eliminate this phenomenon.

Nearly 2,000 women of all ages have so far received self-defence classes at the SheFighter studio.

“I believe that Jordanian women’s awareness of their rights is increasing… we should always look at the bright side of any cause,” said Khalifeh, who has established partnerships with several NGOs.

At the summit, founded in 2009, young leaders are given a platform alongside “distinguished” counsellors who engage and advise them, according to organisers.

Counsellors at recent summits have included Kofi Annan, Arianna Huffington, Muhammad Yunus and Jimmy Wales.

The One Young World Summit is a UK-based not-for-profit organisation that gathers the brightest young people from around the world, empowering them to make lasting connections to create positive change, according to its website.

AMMAN — Ten Muwaqqar Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre 2 inmates involved in alleged terror-related cases were continuing on Tuesday with a hunger strike they started late last month, according to human rights activists and the police.

The inmates are protesting against their “difficult conditions” at the prison, and want the authorities to relocate them to a different centre, National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) Commissioner General Mousa Burayzat said.

“This is a maximum security prison, so their privileges are very limited and can easily be changed under any violation they might commit,” Burayzat told The Jordan Times.

The hunger strike began with five prisoners on October 27 and the number later increased to 43, according to a statement released by the Public Security Department (PSD).

“The number then dropped to 10 on Tuesday and they are all in good condition,” the PSD statement said.

The inmates’ demands do not comply with international standards that require classifying prisoners based on their criminal offence and convictions, the statement added.

The “inmates are placed in individual cells and not allowed to mix with other prisoners,” according to Nisreen Zreiqat, acting commissioner for protection at the NCHR.

 “Our team met with them recently and they asked to be moved to regular centres where they can interact with other inmates,” Zreiqat told The Jordan Times.

She said there were several allegations of “mistreatment and refusal of the administration to listen to their complaints”, which include poor quality of food.

 “The inmates claimed that the food was bad. We asked the prison administration about that and they informed us that a special company is in charge of preparing food for all correctional facilities in Jordan,” Zreiqat explained.

Nevertheless, she added, “we are investigating these allegations.”

“We plan to pay another visit the centre to follow up on the prisoners,” Zreiqat stressed.

Burayzat said the NCHR is monitoring the situation and “we are following up on their ongoing hunger strike and demands.”

“We are in contact with the PSD to get to the bottom of the issue and to try to resolve the matter in a satisfactory manner,” he added.

AMMAN — Pakistani Ambassador to Jordan Lt. Gen. Shafaat Ullah Shah on Tuesday said his country and the Kingdom can do more to increase the trade balance in a manner that would reflect the excellent ties in other fields.

The bilateral trade balance last year amounted to $69 million, $46 million in Pakistan’s exports to Jordan and $23 million in Jordanian exports, the ambassador said during a visit to The Jordan Times.

He noted that Pakistan exports textiles, agricultural and food products, and leather to the Kingdom, while it imports mainly phosphates and phosphorus from Jordan.

Shah said he was in touch with trade representatives here, mainly commerce chambers, to explore means of increasing the volume, noting that Jordanian importers have a wide range of Pakistani products to choose from, including wheat and meat.

He invited Jordanian businesses to visit the Textile Asia International Exhibition, which will be held in Karachi in March 2016, to get a first-hand look at the wide range of products and benefit from available business opportunities.

Shah said Pakistani textile businesses are already active in Jordan, particularly in Qualifying Industrial Zones, benefiting from Jordan’s trade agreements with the United States and other countries around the world.

Pakistani textile factories in Jordan employ around 8,000 people out of a total Pakistani workforce of around 16,000 operating in Jordan, he said, noting that this reflects the excellent ties between the two countries “which can be enhanced at various levels”.

Amman and Islamabad are in full agreement in the political field, Shah said, adding that he will work to arrange high-level visits between the two countries in a bid to boost the level of cooperation in all possible spheres.

The armies of Jordan and Pakistan also have excellent relations that date back decades ago, Shah noted.