PM, Austrian justice minister discuss judicial cooperation

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki and Austrian Justice Minister Wolfgang Brandstetter on Wednesday met to discuss the “distinguished ties” between the two countries in various fields.

During the meeting, held at the Prime Ministry and attended by Justice Minister Awad Abu Jarad and the Austrian ambassador to Jordan, Mulki expressed the Kingdom’s keenness to further boost cooperation in the judicial field and exchange relevant experience, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The premier said the government had recently adopted a report by the Royal Committee for Developing the Judiciary and Enhancing the Rule of Law, and is committed to implementing its recommendations.

The report comprises proposed legislation to develop the judiciary and enhance its role, to improve transparency, Jordan’s business environment and enhance citizens’ rights.

The government aims to complete these legislations soon, in order to present them to the Lower House for endorsement, Mulki stressed.

The prime minister also reviewed Jordan’s reform process, noting the importance of the Jordan Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission in combating corruption.

Mulki also went over the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Jordan, currently host to around 1.3 million Syrian refugees, explaining that the closure of the northern and eastern borders of the Kingdom had also negatively affected the volume of the country’s exports to several markets.

For his part, Brandstetter voiced his country’s willingness to strengthen ties with Jordan in the judicial field and in exchanging expertise.

The Austrian minister praised Jordan’s efforts to fight corruption, noting that the Kingdom ranked 57th out of 176 countries included in the Transparency International’s 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index.

He said that Jordan was an important partner for Austria, while expressing Viennas willingness to support Amman in hosting Syrian refugees and in implementing comprehensive reforms.

Justice Minister Abu Jarad and Brandstetter held a separate meeting, where they highlighted the importance of the Austrian visit, highlighting the fact that both countries are signatories to several international agreements on fighting terrorism, crime and corruption, Petra reported.