Cabinet warns of escalating regional tensions, urges global actions

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Tuesday discussed the latest escalating tensions in the region, highlighting the potential for wider conflict and catastrophic consequences for the region and the world.

During a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, the Council of Ministers received a briefing from Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who outlined Jordan's efforts, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, to stop Israeli aggression in Gaza, address the war on Lebanon and confront ongoing violations in the West Bank and against Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem, a Prime Ministry statement said.

The briefing underlined the urgent need for immediate and effective international efforts to establish a sovereign Palestinian state based on a two-state solution.

The Cabinet called on the international community to act swiftly to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, to end the inhumane blockade of Gaza, and to cease hostilities in Lebanon while upholding international law and humanitarian values in the face of ongoing violations.

The council reaffirmed its commitment to build on His Majesty's efforts to immediately cease all forms of escalation, stressing Jordan's support for the Palestinian people in their quest for justice and their right to the establishment of an independent state with full sovereignty on the 4 June 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Council said that Jordan is leading the largest relief operation for the people of Gaza, urging the international community to support these initiatives to alleviate the worsening humanitarian crisis.

The Cabinet also expressed its support for Lebanon, stressing the importance of an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to ensure Lebanon's security, stability, and sovereignty.

The Cabinet highlighted King Abdullah's recent address to the United Nations General Assembly, in which he underlined Jordan's "solid and unwavering" stance in defending its interests, as the  King rejected the forced displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland, describing such actions as war crimes which Jordan will not tolerate.

The Cabinet also reviewed the economic growth figures, notably the GDP, for the second quarter of 2024, which showed an improvement compared to the first quarter of the year. Economic growth reached 2.4per cent in the second quarter, exceeding expectations and increasing from 2per cent in the first quarter.

The Cabinet noted that this growth reflects the resilience of the national economy and its ability to withstand regional and global challenges that have affected economies worldwide, particularly due to disruptions in the supply chain, shipping, tourism, and other sectors.

The recommendations of the national team tasked with identifying the legislative, technical, organisational, and financial requirements for establishing a National Data Preservation Centre were also approved during the session.

 The project aims to protect data from natural disasters and cyber-attacks and to ensure its isolation from the operational environment of systems in both the public and private sectors.

The Cabinet also gave the green light to the extension of the joint development agreement between the Aqaba Development Company, the Aqaba Container Terminal Company, A.P. Moller Finance and APM Terminals Management BV for the development and management of the Aqaba Container Terminal.

Recognised as one of the most successful public-private partnerships, the Aqaba Container Terminal project has been operational since 2006, demonstrating high operational efficiency and sustainable development activities in infrastructure, port equipment, technological systems, and workforce capacity building.

The extension of the partnership agreements for the Aqaba Container Terminal will involve a total investment of approximately $242 million to implement a carbon emission reduction programme to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. This initiative will enhance the terminal's status as a regional leader and support logistics for the transport and supply chain.

The extension will run for a further 15 years, ending in 2046, under the same terms and conditions as the current contract, including methods for collecting investment rights and setting port fees.

In addition, the Aqaba Centre of Excellence, currently being developed by the Aqaba Development Company, will receive $500,000 to support its capacity-building and training programmes for Jordanian personnel in various economic sectors.

The estimated value of the Aqaba Development Company's share of the expected revenues from the expansion is approximately $2.5 billion from 2024 until the end of the expansion agreement in 2046, in addition to taxes and the port's contribution to the national economy.