Jordan signs six deals with France

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday called for more cooperation among the private sectors of France and Jordan. 

At his meeting with French CEOs and businesspeople at the headquarters of the Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF International) in Paris, the King called for increasing partnerships between Jordan and France, noting that the Jordanian economy offers various incentives, in addition to qualified local human resources — factors that have turned the Kingdom into a major investment base in the region.

Building on the Kingdom's unique geographic position, its security and stability, Jordan is working on removing any obstacles that may face investors and is drafting laws to ensure an investment-friendly environment, the King noted, according to a Royal Court statement.

The French businesspeople expressed their admiration of Jordan's free market and its openness to investors, adding that they are interested in contacting their Jordanian counterparts to establish joint projects.

Founded in 1989, MEDEF International is a nonprofit private-funded organisation, representing the French Business Confederation (MEDEF) and its 800,000 companies, according to its website.

It gathers more than 6,700 French companies already operating in the world.

Speaking to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Water Minister Hazem Nasser said Jordan and France signed six memoranda of understanding on the sidelines of the Royal visit, three of which are related to government work while the others are related to the private sector and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone.

The memos regarding government work include a technical and financial cooperation programme between the Planning Ministry and the French government for the period 2014-2016.

The programme covers the sectors of water, energy and municipalities, Nasser said.

The second memo covers five water and sanitation projects in Amman and Irbid at a cost of around 83 million euros, while the third has to do with media cooperation.

Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority Chief Commissioner Kamel Mahadin told Petra that an agreement was signed with France to build a land port in Aqaba.

Mahadin said other areas of cooperation are under consideration, such as building business parks in Aqaba to enable French businesspeople to work in the area and take a first-hand look at the various incentives offered in the special zone.

French investments in Jordan amount to around JD3 billion in the telecom, manufacturing, energy, trade, tourism and banking sectors.

The two countries have signed several agreements, including bilateral accords to protect investments and prevent tax evasion and double taxation.

Also on Wednesday, during a meeting with intellectual, political and academic French figures, King Abdullah highlighted challenges facing the region and means to deal with them to ensure security and stability. 

The King stressed the importance of intensifying international efforts to revive Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations that would deal with all final-status issues, also calling for international and regional efforts to reconstruct Gaza, in the aftermath of the Israeli offensive on the strip. 

Jordan, he noted, will continue to present all forms of aid and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people. 

Turning to the latest developments in Syria and Iraq, the King reaffirmed Jordan’s position, which calls for a comprehensive political solution to the Syrian crisis and supports all efforts to boost the unity of the Iraqi people and their reconciliation. 

His Majesty highlighted the burdens borne by Jordan as a result of hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees, calling for more international support for the Kingdom.

The King said terrorism represents a serious and direct threat to the region’s security and stability, noting that this calls for effective international cooperation to confront the organisations that nurture radical and extremist ideologies. 

In this regard, the Monarch reiterated Jordan’s support for all regional and international efforts to combat terrorism, which is not related to Islam, but is the outcome of unresolved regional challenges.

He emphasised the importance of the values of tolerance, coexistence and moderation which represent the essence of Islam, and which Jordan has promoted through several initiatives.   

The attendees commended Jordan’s moderation and its efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region, expressing their understanding of the difficulties facing the Kingdom, especially economic challenges.