AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan met on Tuesday with Director General of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) at the European Commission Gert Jan Koopman, to discuss development cooperation priorities between the Kingdom and the European Union and ways to enhance and develop partnership prospects between the two sides.

 

The meeting was attended by EU Delegation Ambassador to Amman Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas.

 

Discussions included the progress of the European aid programme to Jordan and areas of cooperation for the period 2024-2027, which are being translated into projects in sectors such as education, vocational and technical training, tourism, public sector modernisation, green transition, social protection, solid waste management, water and sanitation.

 

The minister discussed with the European official the ongoing impacts of hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees in Jordan, emphasising the importance of translating the commitments of the eighth Brussels Conference into actual obligations in light of the funding shortage for Jordan's response plan to the Syrian crisis.

 

 

They also highlighted the need for continued international support for refugees and host communities to provide essential services such as health, education, social protection, and municipal services.

 

Toukan signed two grant agreements worth 25 million euros from EU bilateral aid to Jordan for 2023.

 

The first grant, worth 15 million euros, is allocated to the project supporting technical and vocational training for all in Jordan, which aims to enhance youth employment opportunities by equipping technical and vocational education and training graduates with the necessary skills and competencies to achieve the Economic Modernization Vision in Jordan, thereby enhancing their competitiveness in the labour market by meeting the private sector's skill needs.

 

The project will be implemented through the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in collaboration with relevant Jordanian entities.

 

The second grant, worth 10 million euros, is allocated to the Sustainable Cultural Heritage Support Project, which aims to enhance the tourism sector in Jordan, improve livelihoods in local communities, especially for women, youth, and the most affected groups, and protect archaeological sites in Jordan by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and relevant entities.

 

It also aims to improve cooperation between civil society organizations, community organisations, the private sector, and relevant institutions in preserving sustainable tourism heritage.

 

Gert Jan Koopman said "Through these two new projects, the European Union reaffirms its full commitment to supporting economic and social development in Jordan. We will continue to support Jordan in developing its youth's skills while preserving its great heritage and fully leveraging its tourism sector's potential."

 

He also highlighted "the European Union's long-term partnership to support the vocational and technical education and training sector in Jordan, complementing the existing EU support for the education sector worth 165 million euros in the Kingdom and providing scholarship opportunities for Jordanian and Syrian students".