AMMAN — US Ambassador to Jordan
Henry Wooster has said that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) Jordan and the US
signed in Washington on September 16 is a platform that will enable the two
governments to start a dialogue over common issues.
اضافة اعلان
Speaking to journalists at his residence on Tuesday,
Wooster said that the US acts as a supporting element to the government of
Jordan.
He added that the MoU focuses on two main issues:
water and the public sector. On the latter, Wooster said the idea is to take an
administrative sector that is large and make it as effective as possible, and
also make it into an instrument that would enable the growth of the economy.
Under the MoU, the
US government will provide a
total of $10.1 billion in aid to Jordan between 2023 and 2029, at around $1.45
billion annually. It is the fourth such document signed by the two countries
since 2010.
Wooster stressed that support for sectors was
determined by Jordan, which sets priorities, and not by the US, and that there
are no conditions attached to the MoU, which are not legally binding.
He added that the MoU aims at supporting the
Economic Modernization Vision, as well as the political modernization
initiative.
“It is the intention of the US, at the highest
levels, to support the vision and the priorities of the King of Jordan and his
government,” he said.
He added that while some parts pertaining to the
water sector will be addressed by the MoU, others will be dealt with
separately. The US, he said, has so far contributed $700 million to the
National Water Carrier Project, since the pledging conference last March,
through grants that are separate from the MoU.
Wooster said that the US has been the biggest
assistance provider to Jordan since 1946, with aid totaling $17 billion, and
also the largest provider of assistance to refugees.
He described Jordan’s role in hosting refugees as
“extraordinary”.
The US, he said, supports Jordan’s “bold” plan for political
modernization, which is aligned with US democratic values, stressing that the
US does not support any political party.
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