EU commissioner due in Amman as union marks anniversary

AMMAN — The EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn is scheduled to visit the Kingdom on Monday to commemorate 40 years of EU-Jordanian relations. 

During the visit, the commissioner will also meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mohamad Al-Ississ, according to an EU statement. Hahn will attend a Europe Day reception later on Monday evening to mark and celebrate 40 years of the EU in Jordan.

Following their meeting, Commissioner Hahn and Ississ will sign an agreement for the “Innovation for Enterprise growth and jobs” project, the statement added. 

The 20 million euro project aims to help local innovation companies grow, produce better and become more competitive in local and international markets. 

The commissioner will also visit the EU-funded Luminus Shamal Start — a business accelerator and seed investor in northern Jordan, according to the statement, which added that the accelerator aims to provide inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs with the support to turn their ideas into projects.

On Tuesday, Hahn is scheduled to lead a mission of international and European financial institutions and donors to meet with Prime Minister Omar Razzaz and the government's economic team, representatives from the Jordanian private sector and civil society organisations to discuss support for the Kingdom’s socioeconomic reforms.