US to provide 100,000 tonnes of wheat to Kingdom

AMMAN — The US government has approved providing Jordan with 100,000 tonnes of wheat, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation said in a statement released Saturday.

During a meeting with Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury, US Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells notified the minister of the US administration’s decision, stressing her country’s commitment to providing all means of support to the Kingdom, especially in light of the current difficult situation, according to the statement.

Discussions covered the final touches on the anticipated wheat agreement, which was reached by the ministry as part of the outcomes of His Majesty King Abdullah’s visit to Washington.

Briefing Wells on the proceedings of the Kuwait III pledging conference last week, Fakhoury noted that Jordan urged the international community, international organisations and donors to find “innovative” ways for extending soft loans to countries hit hard by the influx of Syrian refugees, such as Jordan.

Jordan, he said, highlighted the mounting burden of the refugee crisis, which has become a threat to its development gains and has depleted its resources.

The Kingdom’s appeal at the donor conference came to galvanise support for Jordan and to put the Jordan Response Plan 2015 on the international community’s list of priorities, Fakhoury noted, thanking Washington for its pledge at the meeting and urging it to allocate part of it specifically for the JRP. 

He commended the US government’s support for the Kingdom, which he said is a reflection of the “advanced level” of relations the two countries have reached and the strategic partnership that governs bilateral ties.