EU-Jordan Partnership: Launching a new phase of cooperation
During his two-day visit to Jordan, Commissioner Várhelyi was received by His Majesty the King Abdullah II, met with Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Shraideh. The meetings were the occasion for the Commissioner to reaffirm the strong and cordial EU-Jordan Partnership and to discuss EU assistance and investment priorities in line with the new EU Agenda for the Mediterranean and its Economic and Investment Plan.
Commissioner Várhelyi announced that the EU will provide the country with substantial support under the new long-term EU budget. Over the next seven years, the EU assistance to Jordan from the bilateral and regional envelopes, together with other instruments such as blending and guarantee coverage will aim to mobilise at least €2.5 billion in private and public investments. In this conext, a significant additional amount of funding will be made available to help Jordan bear the burden of hosting Syrian refugees, with the EU so far providing €2.1 billion in support for Jordan since the start of the Syrian crisis.
The European Union and Jordan will also set up a new Investment Platform to mobilise investments for the country’s economic and social development, bringing together the Jordanian Government, European Financial Institutions, the EU institutions, EU Member States and other stakeholders. This was announced today in Amman by Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi and Minister for Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Shraideh.
The new Platform will help mobilising funding for priority investment projects, making full use of the financing instruments of the EU and its Member States, working in coordination with other development partners. This will lower the cost of public sector investment and help crowd-in private investment.
During the meeting, the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Mr. Shraideh, presented the economic performance and key priorities of the Government of Jordan to increase the growth rate and reducing unemployment rate in particular among youth and female. He highlighted the Government’s Economic Priorities Program for (2021-2023), which was designed in accordance with the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II to develop a program with focused priority policies, reforms, and projects in coordination with the private sector that helps put the economy on a trajectory of growth, resilience and recovery and indicated the significance of supporting the key priority projects in the Priorities Program especially, Amman Aqaba Desalination and Conveyance project and the national employment scheme. Moreover, the Minister summarised to the Commissioner the progress related to the implementation of the economic reforms including those related to the development of the investment environment in Jordan.
Commissioner Oliviér Várhelyi said: “Jordan is a key partner for the EU and we will provide substantial support to the country in the coming years. My specific objective for this visit was to discuss how to take this forward with the new Agenda for the Mediterranean and its Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbourhood. We made an important step forward today with the agreement to establish an EU-Jordan Investment Platform. This will help us mobilise public and private investment to support flagship projects jointly agreed between the EU and Jordan, such as the Aqaba-Amman water desalination and conveyance project and the King Hussein Bridge. It will also constitute an important forum to trigger further investments for targeted sustainable projects, and support the country’s process of socio-economic modernisation”.
Minister for Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Shraideh said: “We express our deep appreciation to the EU support to Jordan over the many years, which helped us in pursuing our reform and development agenda as well as in mitigating the impacts resulted from hosting 1.3 million of Syrian refugees”.
Background:
EU assistance to Jordan between 2014 and 2020 amounted to €2.8 billion, and supported economic stability, sustainable and knowledge-based growth, quality education and job creation to strengthening democratic governance, the rule of law and human rights, environment, climate change, culture and transport, the hosting of Syrian refugees, regional stability and security, including counter-terrorism.