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AMMAN — A recent visit by a Jordanian commercial and industrial delegation to Lithuania has opened new scopes for cooperation in the trade and investment fields, as well as for promoting the Kingdom as a business hub in the region, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday.

The visit, organised by the consulate of Lithuania in Jordan in cooperation with the Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC), has provided grounds for increasing commercial exchange between the two countries and for reviewing the Kingdom’s economic and investment opportunities.

Ahmad Armoush, the honorary consular of Lithuania in Jordan, said that the visit came as a follow up of the outcomes of His Majesty King Abdullah’s meeting with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė, during her visit to the Kingdom in May 2016.

Armoush said that the delegation, headed by Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Yarub Qudah and ACC President Issa Murad, included representatives of the private sector, Jordan Investment Commission, Jordan Tourism Board and the Jordanian Embassy in the Netherlands. 

He added that the visit was paving the way for increasing commercial exchange and establishing “good” economic relations in the fields of maritime transport, tourism, medical tourism and educational exchange. 

Mohammad Rifai, first deputy president of the Jordan Chamber of Industry, said that Lithuanian officials expressed their keenness to develop economic ties with Amman by addressing any potential obstacles, Petra added.

Rifai outlined the commercial sectors having good opportunities to enter the Lithuanian market, including the olive oil, Dead Sea products and dates.

AMMAN — FINCA Jordan CEO Makhmud Saidakhmatov on Thursday said that the organisation has contributed to achieving financial inclusion in the Kingdom through enabling those who cannot access traditional financial sources for loans, especially women.

In a press conference that was held on the 10th anniversary for launching the Jordan branch, Saidakhmatov said that FINCA Jordan believes in women’s role in society, which makes the organisation support women to help them reach better conditions for their families, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Since its establishment in the Kingdom in 2007, FINCA Jordan has provided loans worth $195 million for 162,000 people, 90 per cent of whom are women, the CEO said, noting that there are some 30,000 active clients dealing with the organisation. 

AMMAN — Three died and three were injured on Saturday after two vehicles collided in Maan, according to Maan’s Director of Civil Defence Lieutenant Colonel Salem Saraireh, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Lt. Col. Saraireh told Petra that the rescue teams in the directorate transferred the bodies and the injured to Maan Government Hospital. 

AMMAN — President of the Hashemite University Kamal Bani Hani and Director of International Programms at the George Washington University School of Medicine Janan Sarkis have discussed means of enhancing cooperation between the two universities in the field of ​​medical student exchange, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday. 

During the meeting, Bani Hani stressed the importance of establishing joint programmes in the areas of teaching, training and conferences on health issues. Sarkis pointed out that the university is continuing to open channels of cooperation in order to raise scientific, academic and research levels of the two universities, praising the achievements of the Hashemite University in various fields.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Thursday stressed that the government is seeking political reform through legislative changes and decentralisation that aim to increase citizens' participation in development decision making.

The remarks came during Mulki's meeting with the Aqaba's executive and governorate councils in the presence of Interior Minister Ghalib Zu'bi, Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani and Aqaba Special Economy Zone Authority (ASEZA) Chief Commissioner Nasser Shraideh.

For the economy, Mulki said that the government is pursuing self-reliance, noting that controlling public spending and increasing revenues are vital to stimulate development and improve the quality of services provided to people. 

Acknowledging that the budgets of the governorate councils are not large, he explained that there have been projects that had started before electing the councils mid-August.

The prime minister said that the councils' budgets do not include cross-governorate projects, which remain as part of the general state budget.

As for the Aqaba projects that had been implemented before the elections, Mulki said that ASEZA included industrial zones that are out of the ASEZA's boundaries to benefit from its status as a special economic zone.

The added areas include Qweirah, 50km to the north of Aqaba, where an industrial zone has been established.

The Aqaba Governorate Council’s members outlined the needs of Aqaba area to improve public services.  

The premier said that he had directed the Municipal Affairs Ministry to visit Aqaba, 330km south of Amman, to discuss supporting the governorate’s municipalities and enhancing health and education services.

Also on Thursday, the prime minister visited Disi, 30km north of Aqaba, and met MPs and community leaders of the Southern Badia region.

During the visit, Mulki opened a number of development and services projects.

The premier said that the visit came to get acquainted firsthand with the demands of residents.

During the meeting, Water and Irrigation Minister Hazem Al Nasser briefed the meeting on Dabbit Hanout water supply project, which has cost JD900 million.

The prime minister also checked Wadi Rum Visitors Centre and was briefed on efforts to develop the tourist facility. 

AMMAN — Eight years ago, a Jordanian woman decided to launch an initiative called Ayadeena (our hands), in a bid to encourage women to be economically self-dependent through the world of crafts. 

Hana Sahawneh sought to support women by investing in their skills to prevent them from having to wait for others to support them financially. 

“The name of the initiative is given in reference to the hands of these women which are creating these works,” she told The Jordan Times in a phone interview. 

Sahawneh started buying materials and brought a wide range of design patterns for women to start creating pillows and furniture items to be sold. 

She said the designs are traditional yet created with a modern spirit to give it a "special and unique touch". 

“Since then, many women managed to afford medical care and to continue their studies, thanks to the money they generated through their works,” she noted. 

Sahawneh recalled how some women’s husbands opposed the idea of their wives working, which prompted them to work in their free hours so that their work would not clash with their domestic duties. 

“They were determined to depend only on themselves,” she stressed. 

Between 40 and 60 women work on these handmade items, depending on the amount of orders they received, Ayadeena’s founder explained. 

The works of these women are currently on display at Amman Design Week’s crafts district which “helped a lot in exposing the works of these women”, Sahawneh concluded.

AMMAN — Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani on Thursday condemned the repeated Israeli violations at Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Thursday.

The most recent violations were committed by settlers and Jewish extremists who barged into the holy Muslim shrine on the occasion of Jewish holidays, renewing tension at the compound.

Momani, who is also the government spokesperson, said that such irresponsible and rejected behaviours by Israeli authorities constitute acts of provocation of Muslims' feelings.

He also reiterated that Israel, the occupying force, must respect international conventions.

The minister stressed that such behaviours harm relations between the two countries and undermine efforts to ease tension and preserve the historical and legal status of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, adding that they also undermine international efforts to resume Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.

Momani urged the Israeli government to put an end to such provocative acts and respect Jordan's role as custodian of the holy sites in Jerusalem, which is internationally recognised and stipulated in the peace treaty between the two sides.

AMMAN — Australia's Governor General Peter Cosgrove will on Wednesday begin an official visit to Jordan along with his wife as part of an official regional tour, the Royal Court has announced. 

Cosgrove will meet His Majesty King Abdullah to discuss means of enhancing cooperation between the two countries in various fields, along with the latest regional and international developments. 

The governor general will also meet Prime Minister Hani Mulki and several senior officials to discuss bilateral ties, the statement said. 

According to an official statement by Cosgrove’s office, the governor general’s programme will include visits to Australian supported humanitarian programmes and a defence joint training centre.

His tour will take him also to Lebanon and Egypt, where he will take part in a ceremony to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the World War II Alamein Battle. 

AMMAN — Hashemite University President Kamal Bani Hani met with Prince Radu of Romania and an accompanying higher education delegation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Thursday. 

During the meeting, which was attended by Romanian Ambassador to Amman Nicolae Comanescu,  Prince Radu praised the university for its “excellent reputation in the European academic sphere”. “We look forward to strengthening cooperation between Romanian universities and the Hashemite University,” the prince said.

The officials discussed ways to develop academic cooperation between Jordan and Romania, and the provision of scholarships for Jordanian students in Romanian universities. 

AMMAN — The Jordan Teachers Association’s council on Thursday referred the issue of the health insurance fund to the judiciary over alleged financial, legal and administrative violations, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The council also decided to assign a lawyer to file a case. The decision came after an auditing by a specialised firm found out that two insurance companies were contracted instead of one and the lack of monitoring on health expenditure, according to Petra.