Planning minister, JICA VP discuss future water projects

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan on Wednesday met with Hara Shohai, first vice president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), over water sector-related cooperation projects. 

The discussions focused on upcoming initiatives set to be formalised in the coming months and outlined future priorities for financial and technical assistance from Japan to Jordan, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

During the meeting, on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Washington, Toukan commended the Japanese government and people for their continued support of Jordan.

“Jordan attaches great importance to its bilateral relations with Japan,” she said, emphasising the historical ties that have flourished over the past 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Since 1999, Japan has provided Jordan with nearly $2 billion in aid, encompassing grants and soft loans.

This financial assistance has bolstered the general budget and facilitated various development programmes across sectors such as water, energy, environment, health, and education. 

It has contributed to enhancing services in the industrial and tourism sectors and has supported initiatives in human resource development and vocational training.