Jordan, EU Sign Two Grants Agreements Worth 20 Million Euros

Jordan and EU signed two grant agreements worth 20 million euros to support economic growth and partnership, a Planning and international Cooperation statement said.

Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury and Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy And Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn signed the agreements.

The first grant agreement of ten million euros will be allocated for the project of "Trade-for-Development measures to support inclusive economic growth in Jordan.

" The grant aims to support startups and SMEs especially in the northern region and help in meeting the requirements of exporting to the EU by Jordanians and Syrians under the simplify Rules of Origin (RoO) agreement.

Al Quds College will provide services to Jordanian and Syrian entrepreneurs in the industrial areas of the North to strengthen export capacities, taking advantage of the RoO.

The College will provide 2 million euros in contribution to the implementation of the project's activities.

The grant also aims to improve the processing of the Jordanian quality infrastructure system, which includes the institutions responsible for the standards of health protection (SPS) and the technical requirements to facilitate trade in cooperation relevant Jordanian institutions, in order to overcome obstacles and the ability to play the institutional role to help the private sector to meet EU standards including the legal requirements and quality assurance.

The second grant, which amounts to another ten million euros, will finance the project of "Support the Implementation of the Partnership Priorities in Jordan." The project, which will be administered by the ministry, targets the institutional structure of the public sector and aims to provide more technical assistance and twinning projects to strengthen the technical and institutional capacities of government agencies involved in the EU-Jordanian partnership and meet European standards, the statement said. Earlier, Fakhoury and Hahn held a meeting that was attended by EU Ambassador to Jordan Andrea Matteo Fontana, in which they discussed means of cooperation between Jordan and the EU, according to the statement.

During the meeting, Fakhoury praised the Jordanian-European ties during the last few years, which brought "fruitful" results for the two sides topped by the priorities of partnership and the joint decision on simplifying the rules of origin and cooperation various fields.

The minister and the commissioner discussed preparations for the upcoming Brussels conference on Syria slated for April 24-25, 2018. Fakhoury highlighted the importance of the Brussels conference to follow up on the international support pledges made during London Conference on Syria that was held in February 2016.

He said that Jordan sees the conference as an opportunity to share the Jordanian model in dealing with the refugee crisis, maintaining the momentum of action, and continuing the provision of support by financing and donor parties through innovative tools such as concessional loaning. He said the support should take into consideration the situation and needs of each country hosting Syrian refugees.

He called for utilizing Jordanian capabilities and expertise in implementing projects related to refugees.

In turn, Hahn expressed the EU's appreciation for Jordan's reform efforts, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, in various fields and dealing with the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on behalf of the international community.

The commissioner stressed the EU's commitment to supporting the Kingdom, which is a pivotal partner of the union, especially under the current circumstances that the Middle East is living.